Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Host Big Ten Newcomer Rutgers on Sunday
2/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
| 2014-15 Northwestern Wrestling |
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| No. 23 Northwestern (9-7, 1-6 Big Ten) vs. No. 24 Rutgers (11-6, 1-6 Big Ten) |
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| Date | Sunday, Feb. 8 | 5 p.m. CT |
| Location | Welsh-Ryan Arena | Evanston, Ill. |
| TV: | BTN Plus on BTN2Go |
| Live Results | TrackWrestling.com |
| Social Media | @NU_SportsLIVE  | @NU_Wrestle | Facebook  |
| Buy Tickets | 888-GO-PURPLE | Online Ticket Office |
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern welcomes Big Ten newcomer Rutgers to Welsh-Ryan Arena for the first time as a conference foe on Sunday. The Wildcats and Scarlet Knights will both be in search of their second conference win in the dual beginning at 5 p.m.
Rutgers will be the first team ranked outside of the nation's top-10 Northwestern has wrestled since Indiana back on Jan. 18. The Scarlet Knights are 24th according to InterMat.
Northwestern senior Pierce Harger moved one win closer to 100 in his career with a 13-3 major decision over Austin Wilson of Nebraska last Friday. The victory was Harger's 98th. The Wildcats have two home duals remaining, including Sunday's meet with Rutgers.
Northwestern remained steady in the national polls this week. Sophomore Jason Tsirtsis (26-1) stayed third at 149 lbs. after a 10-2 major decision over Nebraska's Justin Arthur. Heavyweight Mike McMullan (19-2) held at No. 4 with an 8-2 decision over then 17th-ranked Collin Jensen last Friday. Pierce Harger (21-4) remained ranked No. 8 at 165 lbs with his win, and 197-pounder Alex Polizzi (21-7) rounds out the rankings for the Wildcats at No. 16.
After wrestling seven out of eight matches against ranked opponents, Harger will face off with his second straight unranked foe on Sunday. He is scheduled to wrestle Nick Visicaro (4-5). Harger is 15-0 this season against unranked opponents.
McMullan is slated to take on his third straight ranked foe in Rutgers' Billy Smith (12-4). The Northwestern senior won both of the previous matches, including a sudden victory takedown of the top-ranked wrestler at the time, Iowa's Bobby Telford.
Tsirtsis will wrestle his fifth nationally ranked opponent when he matches up against Ken Theobold (20-4). The defending national champion is 3-1 this year in such matches with all three wins against top-10 foes.
Polizzi is tied for ninth among all Division I wrestlers in falls this season. He has won eight matches by fall in a total time of 19:21. The Northwestern senior ranks fourth among Big Ten competitors. Bucknell's Joe Stolfi leads all wrestlers with 16 falls.
Rutgers enters the weekend 1-6 in Big Ten competition and 11-6 overall this season. Before coming to Evanston on Sunday, the Scarlet Knights travel to Madison to take on the Badgers. The lone conference win came on Jan. 18 at fellow first-year Big Ten team Maryland. In the team's most recent outing, Rutgers narrowly missed an upset over No. 4 Ohio State, falling 23-17.
Northwestern Projected Lineup
125: Garrison White (11-12)
133: Dominick Malone (16-13)
141: Jameson Oster (15-9)
149: #3 Jason Tsirtsis (26-1)
157: Ben Sullivan (5-12)
165: #8 Pierce Harger (21-4)
174: Open
184: Mitch Sliga (9-14)
197: #16 Alex Polizzi (21-7)
285: #4 Mike McMullan (19-2)
Rutgers Projected Lineup
125: Sean McCabe (13-7)
133: #18 Scott DelVecchio (16-6)
141: #9 Anthony Ashnault (19-4)
149: #17 Ken Theobold (20-4)
157: #16 Anthony Perrotti (14-6)
165: Nick Visicaro (4-5)
174: Phil Bakuckas (16-10)
184: Anthony Pafumi (12-10)
197: Hayden Hrymack (10-7)
285: #14 Billy Smith (12-4)
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