Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Prepares to Battle Cleveland State Thursday
12/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 15, 2009
Northwestern at Cleveland State Match Notes (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After a hard-fought loss to Northern Illinois in its last match, Northwestern will be wrestling with a chip on its shoulder when it heads east to face Cleveland State at 6 p.m. Thursday in Woodling Gymnasium. The match is NU's final competition before returning home to host the 47th annual Midlands Championships at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Although it is not uncommon for the Wildcats and Vikings to meet in open competitions during the season, these two schools have not met in a dual match since Dec. 16, 1994, when NU won a 30-12 decision in Cleveland.
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State got off to a slow start in 2009, losing four consecutive dual matches without scoring more than six team points in any one match. CSU and Northwestern share one common opponent this season in Eastern Michigan, a team that tied Northwestern 18-18 on Nov. 22 three days after beating Cleveland State 36-6 in Cleveland. The Vikings also traveled to the Ohio Duals where it defeated Appalachian State but fell to the Citadel and Ohio.
CSU graduated its lone NCAA qualifier from a year ago, heavyweight Rashard Goff, and are a very young team 18 true or redshirt freshmen on its roster compared to just three seniors.
THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR
In addition to returning those unwanted holiday gifts and planning how to ring in the New Year, there is one more annual tradition reserved for the final week of the calendar year: the Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern. The event never fails to bring the nation's elite college wrestlers to Welsh-Ryan Arena and the 47th edition, which takes place Tue.-Wed., Dec. 29-30, is no different.
Tickets for the 2009 Midlands Championships are available now by calling the Northwestern Athletics ticket office (847-491-CATS) or by printing, completing and returning the ticket order form available in PDF form on the wrestling page at NUsports.com. All-session passes range from $38-$50 while individual session passes can be purchased for as little as $7-$9.
As always, the Midlands Championships provide wrestling fans a chance to see a host of recent NCAA champions and All-Americans do battle as the collegiate dual season heats up. Included in that group is Northwestern's Brandon Precin from nearby Orland Park, who is a defending Midlands champion and a third-place finisher at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
LAST TIME OUT
Contending with a host of injuries and a hostile road atmosphere, Northwestern lost a 24-13 road dual match at Northern Illinois in a match that was much closer than the final team score suggests. Senior Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco) was one of NU's leading performers, posting an inspired 5-1 decision over preseason No. 15 Tristen DeShazer at 133 pounds. John Schoen (Homer Glen, Ill./Marist) led off the match with a big win while Andrew Nadhir (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central) was equally as impressive, winning for the fifth time in as many dual matches this season. Nadhir extended his advantage over Dan Ruettiger to eight points at the buzzer, giving the 'Cats a bonus-point victory at 149. Aaron Jones (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) also chipped in a win for NU at 184. Robert Joyce (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. John Viator) wrestled up two weight classes at 141 to help NU avoid a six-point forfeit loss, one of several gritty performances by Wildcats on the night.
