Terps Primed for B1G Home Opener vs. No. 4 Nebraska

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Maryland men's wrestling team (3-4, 0-1 Big Ten) will be back at the XFINITY Center Pavilion this Friday, December 11 for a dual match with the University of Nebraska. First match is slated for 7:00 pm.

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Setting the staGe

Maryland picked up a 24-10 dual match victory over Drexel its last time out on December 5, moving to 3-4 on the season in head-to-head competition.
The Terps were paced by seven individual victories, including the second pin in three matches for true freshman Jaron Smith (184). After tying Drexel's Stephen Loiseau 4-4 through regulation, Smith came from the bottom in the second OT period to get the pin and put UMD up 9-0.
Redshirt senior Lou Macola (157) also pulled off an exciting victory, after going down 4-1 early to redshirt sophomore Ryan O'Connor. The East Hanover, N.J. native came through with a clutch takedown just before the buzzer to clinch a 9-8 decision and the match over the Dragons. Mascola is now 7-1 on the season with his only loss coming to the current No. 1 ranked 157 pounder (InterMat Wrestling) and defending National Champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois.
Maryland also had some standout performances at the Nittany Lion Open this past weekend in State College, Pa. Redshirt senior Geoffrey Alexander (133) was in action for the first time this season after missing the first month of the season due to injury. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native was dominant, winning his two matches by technical fall and major decision.
Redshirt-sophomore Dawson Peck (285) also went undefeated at the event, posting two pins and a 3-2 decision over NC State's Mike Kosoy.
Redshirt-junior Billy Rappo (125) continues to lead the Terps in total victories this season, now 13-4 on the year after going 5-2 at the Nittany Lion Open.
Maryland got some revenge on Hofstra on November 29 after dropping a 29-12 decision to the Pride at last season's Grapple at the Garden. The Terps came out ahead with 24-13 victory.
Freshman Tyler Goodwin is currently ranked 18^th in the country in the 133 lb. weight class via the latest InterMat Wrestling NCAA rankings published on December 8. Goodwin holds a 5-2 overall record on the season, with both of his losses coming to ranked opponents.
Freshman Brendan Burnham delivered the Terps' biggest surprise in Iowa City on November 20 when he took out the Hawks' Burke Paddock, 9-5. Burnham is now 5-3 on the season and has won three out of his last four matches.

scouting Nebraska

(Nebraska Wrestling Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Stats)

Nebraska (6-0, 0-0 Big Ten) comes to College Park on Friday as the No. 4 (NWCA/USA Today Coaches)/No. 3 (InterMat) ranked team in the nation. The Cornhuskers will open up their 2015-16 Big Ten schedule against the Terps, and are currently undefeated on the season.
The Cornhuskers wrestled alongside Maryland at the Grapple at the Garden on November 29, picking up victories over then-No. 7 Cornell (21-14) and Princeton (21-12). This will be Nebraska's first match since, and the program's first trip to College Park since the 2006-07 season.
The Huskers finished ninth overall at last year's NCAA Championships in St. Louis, securing the program's 19^th top-10 NCAA finish and first since 2009.
Nebraska sports one of the most complete teams in the country at the moment, with all 10 of the squad's projected starters ranked inside the InterMat top-20 in their respective weight classes.
NU returns seven of the nine wrestlers that qualified for the NCAA championships last season, headlined by 2015 All-American TJ Dudley (184). The junior is currently ranked No. 4 in the nation and holds a 5-1 record on the season.
Redshirt freshman and No. 11 ranked Tyler Berger (157) and senior No. 5 Austin Wilson (165) are both undefeated for the Huskers this season. Berger has notched a 10-0 record and 6-0 mark in duals, while Wilson is 6-0, with a pin, technical fall and major decision to his name in 2015.
Senior No. 18 ranked Anthony Abidin (141) and juniors No. 10 Eric Montoya (133) and No. 15 Aaron Studebaker (197) were all crucial in Nebraska's NCAA Tournament run last season. The trio carries a combined 23-6 record into Friday's contest.
Also projected to wrestle for Nebraska: No. 12 Tim Lambert (125), No. 7 Jake Sueflohn (149), No. 13 Micah Barnes (174) and No. 14 Colin Jensen (285). Lambert and Barnes both qualified for NCAAs last season

last meeting

Nebraska secured a 42-3 head-to-head victory when the schools met in Lincoln, NE last season on November 16. The Cornhuskers were ranked No. 7 in the nation at the time, with Geoffrey Alexander picking up the Maryland's sole win at 133 pounds. Nebraska holds a 4-1-1 advantage in the all-time series, with Maryland's lone victory coming at the 2012 Grapple at the Garden. The two sides tied in their first ever meeting back on February 16, 1980 in College Park.

pin canceR

The Maryland Wrestling program will be wrestling in support of Pin Cancer™, a charity that rallies the US wrestling community in a call to action to defeat cancer. The organization was founded in 2011 by a former Bloomsburg wrestler Dan Tramontozzi after finding out his mother was diagnosed with Stage 3C Ovarian Cancer. The match will feature a silent auction and Pin Cancer bid sheets for fans to bid on wrestlers to raise money for the cause. The first 400 fans in attendance will receive a Maryland wristband with the hashtags #PinCancer and #B1GMatch
For more information visit pincancer.org. Follow Pin Cancer on Twitter (@PinCancer), Facebook and Instagram.

next up

Maryland will enter an extended hiatus over the next several weeks, before returning to competition the week of December 28. The Terps will have wrestlers in action at the Wilkes Open (Dec. 28), the Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) and the Franklin & Marshall Open (Dec. 30).

-Terps-

Players Mentioned

Geoffrey Alexander

Brendan Burnham

Tyler Goodwin

Dawson Peck

Billy Rappo

Jaron Smith

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