Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan
Wrestling Weekly Release: 1/19/09
1/19/2009 6:14:57 PM | Wrestling
Eagles continue MAC play against Chippewas Thurdsay
YPSILANTI, Mich.- The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team will face its second consecutive ranked team Thursday, Jan. 22, when it travels up to Mt. Pleasant, Mich. to battle No. 6 Central Michigan University in the second of five Mid-Amercian Conference Bouts. The Eagles are 0-1 in MAC matches this season.
THE MAC IS BACK: The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team will compete in its second of five Mid-American Conference bouts this season Thursday, Jan. 22, when it travels to Mt. Pleasant, Mich. to take on the No. 6 Chippewas of Central Michigan University.
The Eagles (4-7; 0-1 MAC) will head into the match looking for payback from last season when Central (11-1) handed them a 22-12 setback, Jan. 26, 2008, at Bowen Field House. The Chippewas hold a 50-9-1 all-time series lead over the Eagles including a 17-match winning streak.
EAGLE STARTERS: The Eagles will likely roll with the same lineup as they used in their most previous match against Cornell University, Jan. 17. The 10 grapplers have a combined 87-93 record on the season. It is still possible, however, that redshirt sophomore David Wade will get the nod at heavyweight in place of redshirt freshman Wes Schroeder.
BEAT THE BEAST: In order to win the Mid-American Conference title, getting past the Chippewas is a must. Central has won the last seven MAC Championships and had seven individual Champions in the 2008 installment of the tournament.
Head Coach Derek DelPorto feels confident that his team is headed for similar success in the near future. "Although our record doesn't indicate it, we are getting better and making progress," DelPorto remarked. "I have confidence that our performances and training will pay off in the end."
FINDING THE ANSWER: The Eagles last eared the title of MAC Champions in the 1995-96 season. That year, Eastern posted just a 1-3-1 record in conference play, but went on a tear at the MAC Championship, beating runner-up Kent State University by 18 points, 90-72.
Last season, the Eagles posted a 2-3 conference mark, recording victories against the University at Buffalo, Dec. 30, 2007, 21-12, and Ohio University, Dec. 6, 2007, 31-6. That record was already an improvement over a 1-4 mark from 2006-07.
NOT BACKING DOWN: Thursday's bout against the sixth ranked Chippewas will mark the second consecutive match in which the Eagles face-off against a ranked opponent. Eastern is fresh off a tussle with No. 2 Cornell University, Jan. 17. The Big Red got the best of the Eagles, 28-10, but three Eagle grapplers managed victories.
Redshirt juniors Sean Clair and Zack Donofrio claimed victories at 133 and 141, respectively. Donofrio's win got the Eagles to within two points of Cornell, 9-7, which was the smallest points margin of the match. Senior John McClure gave Eagles fans something to cheer about in the final match of the day, as he knocked-off Matt Panasevich, 6-1, in the 197 lb. division.
"Facing back-to-back top-six teams is a very challenging task, but we are up for the challenge," coach Derek DelPorto said.
KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON: With a decisive 10-2 major decision victory at Cornell Saturday, redshirt junior Sean Clair improved his season record to 9-5. Clair has won seven of his last 10 bouts and two in-a-row.
Redshirt junior Zack Donofrio improved his already team-best record to 14-7 as a result of his 6-1 win Saturday.
WHAT'S LEFT?: After wrestling Central on Thursday, the Eagles will participate in their final non-conference matches of 2008-09 when they travel to the Gardner-Webb Duals, Jan. 31, in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Eagles will be awaited by Appalachian State University, Duke University and host Gardner-Webb University.
Eastern then ends the year with three straight inter-conference bouts against Northern Illinois University, Kent State University and Ohio University. The match against Kent State will be the Eagles' third and final home match of the season. It will take place Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.
EMU WRESTLING FAST FACT: Since the 1972-73 season, Eastern has had 33 NCAA Division I National Qualifiers, the most recent of which was Charlie Pienaar in 2007-08.
