COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland (2-12, 0-7 B1G) will wrap up its slate of Big Ten duals for the 2016-17 season when the team takes on Northwestern (6-6, 1-5 B1G) and #2 Penn State (10-0, 6-0) this weekend. 

The Terps will first host Northwestern on Friday at 7 pm in the XFINITY Center Pavilion for its final home dual of the year. The team will also celebrate senior night.

On Sunday, UMD will make the trip north to University Park, Pa. to battle #2 Penn State at Rec Hall at 2pm. Both matches will be streamed live via BTN Plus.

A Look at the WILDCATS

• Friday's meeting between Maryland and Northwestern is just the second for the two schools in the all-time series, and it's shaping up to be a close one. Northwestern enters the match with just one Big Ten dual win on the year, coming off a 28-15 defeat with #11 Illinois on February 3.
• Johnny Sebastian (165), Mitch Sliga (184), Jacob Berkowitz (197) and heavyweight Conan Jennings are the top performers for the Wildcats this season, with all four posting at least 14 wins this season.  
• Northwestern will make the trip north to Piscataway, N.J. to battle Rutgers on Sunday for its Big Ten dual finale on Sunday. 
• Northwestern Probables
• 125 Anthony Rubinetti R-Fr. 9-11
• 133 Jason Ipsarides R-Fr. 10-8
• 141 Alec McKenna R-Fr. 7-12
• 149 Shayne Oster Fr. 9-8
• 157 Ben Sullivan Sr. 4-14
• 165 Johnny Sebastian R-So. 14-6
• 174 Braxton Cody R-Fr. 0-9
• 184 Mitch Sliga R-Jr. 15-6
• 197 Jacob Berkowitz Sr. 19-7
• 285 Conan Jennings R-So. 15-8

A LOOK AT THE NITTANY LIONS

• Maryland will travel to take on the defending National Champions on Sunday when they wrestle Penn State at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions possess one of the most complete lineups in the nation, with nine wrestlers ranked inside the InterMat Wrestling top-20 in their weight classes.   
• The Penn State Nittany Lions are riding a 28-dual win streak dating back to the end of the 2014-15 season. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad won its final dual of the 2014-15 season. The Nittany Lions went a perfect 16-0 last year, winning both the Big Ten dual meet crown and the NWCA Dual Meet Championship Series title win a victory over Oklahoma State in Rec Hall.
• Penn State is currently 11-0. In addition, the Nittany Lions have won 16 straight Big Ten dual meets (9-0 in 2015-16 and 7-0 to date this year).]
• Three Nittany Lions are undefeated in #1 Zain Retherford (149), #1 Jason Nolf (157) and #2 Bo Nickal (184). True freshman #2 Nick Suriano (125) and #7 Mark Hall (174) have also been major factors on the national scene, holding a combined 35-3 record. 
• Penn State Probables
• 125 #2 Nick Suriano Fr. 14-1
• 133 George Carpenter So. 1-9 OR Triston Law Fr. 0-1
• 141 #11 Jimmy Gulibon Sr. 11-6
• 149 #1 Zain Retherford Jr. 16-0
• 157 #1 Jason Nolf So. 16-0
• 165 #4 Vincenzo Joseph Fr. 12-2
• 174 #7 Mark Hall Fr. 21-2
• 184 #2 Bo Nickal So. 15-0
• 197 #9 Matt McCutcheon Jr. 12-3
• 285 #3 Nick Nevills So. 1

SENIOR DAY CELEBRATION

• Maryland will honor its lone graduating senior in the lineup, Billy Rappo, for senior night on Friday.
• Rappo is a five-year member of the Maryland wrestling program, coming into the weekend with 55 career wins. He has wrestled at 125, 133 and 141 pounds throughout his Terrapin career, and is currently enjoying his best season of dual match competition with seven wins under his belt.
• Rappo will be honored in a pre-match ceremony on Friday.  

Hodges WINS MESSIAH OPEN CROWN

• Sophomore Wade Hodges took home the 157-pound title February 4 at the Messiah Open, winning four matches on the day including two by fall. Hodges is now 15-6 on the season. 

THREE TERPS TABBED IN INITIAL COACHES' RANKINGS

• Three Maryland wrestlers were ranked in their respective weight classes in the first NCAA coaches' panel rankings for the 2016-17 season released Friday. Redshirt senior Billy Rappo (133), redshirt sophomore Alfred Bannister (149) and redshirt freshman David-Brian Whisler (197) were all ranked in the top-33.
• The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
• Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn spots in their qualifying tournaments for the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

next up

• Maryland will conclude dual match competition next Saturday, February 18 when the teams hits the road for duals against Rider and Drexel. 

-Terps-