Harvard match to highlight road trip as wrestling rebounds from Ivy losses

Following last weekend's match-ups against Cornell and Columbia, the wrestling team (2-7 overall, 0-2 Ivy League) finds itself up against East Stroudsburg, Harvard (0-8, 0-0) and Brown (3-7, 0-0) this weekend as it travels to Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Last weekend's results proved disappointing for the Tigers as they entered into the real meat of the season, beginning their Ivy League competition and starting to gear up for the approaching the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association meet at the end of the season.

A pair of pins enabled Columbia to gain a quick advantage over the Tigers, including a pin of senior co-captain Brian Kirschbaum in the 133-lb. weight class. Kirschbaum was ranked in the last EIWA standings. The return of sophomore Jake Butler in the 197-lb. class, however, proved successful for the Tigers, as Butler managed to soundly defeat his opponent. Senior co-captains Milo Adams and Joe Looke were also victorious in the 141-lb. and heavyweight classes, respectively, and continued to add to their own resumes before the EIWA competitions begin in March.

To end the night's doubleheader, the Tigers found themselves facing Cornell, a traditionally strong team who they had lost to last season. The Big Red soundly defeated the Tigers, with the only win for Princeton coming from Looke in the heavyweight class.

More of the same?

The match against Harvard could easily prove both exciting and challenging for the Tigers, as the Crimson generally has a solid team and fights especially hard when up against Princeton.

"This weekend as we travel we're looking to light things up and turn some heads as we head on the Ivy League tour," Adams said.

On this weekend last year the Tigers eked out an exciting victory over Harvard. Princeton came back from a 19-6 deficit and to tie the match at 19 apiece. The teams faced each other in eight tiebreaker rounds, with the Tigers finally prevailing with a greater number of total near-fall points. The match gave the Tigers their first EIWA win of the 2003 season and was a huge victory overall for the team in an increasingly important portion of the season.

At the beginning of the season, head coach Michael New pointed out that the team was looking to build upon its successes from last season and hopefully improve where it came up short.

Right now the Harvard match could go either way. Princeton and Harvard have posted similar records this season against some of the stronger Midwestern schools and larger universities. The Tigers also no longer boast the advantage of Greg Parker '03, the runner-up in the 2002 nationals.

No Parker, no sweat

However, several of the key players in last year's meeting remain on the Princeton squad, all of whom have demonstrated their talent and ability to rise to the occasion throughout this season. Looke provided a crucial two-point takedown in last year's match, the move that brought the score to 19-19 overall and forced the match into its subsequent tiebreakers.

Adams also had a win for the Tigers in last year's match in the 157-lb. weight class. Though Kirschbaum and sophomore Matt Piselli saw less success in the 133-lb. and 149-lb. weight classes, respectively. Both have shown improvement this season and have gained additional experience that could prove beneficial should they step out onto the mats this weekend as they face the Harvard team.

"It's hard to point to individuals [who have really come through for the team this season], because the success we are starting to experience is largely collaborative, a real team effort," Adams said. "Young guys like [sophomores] Matt DeNichilo and Butler are stepping up and showing their claws, while solid leadership from Kirschbaum and Looke have also been key factors and contributors [to our increased success].

"I'm really excited about where we are and how far we've come as a team. We're learning from our mistakes, building up victories and gaining confidence."

The Tigers have already faced East Stroudsburg this season at the East Stroudsburg Open at the end of November. In one of their first matches of the season, the Tigers found themselves overwhelmed by a stronger team. The match provided a good learning experience to open the season, however, and demonstrated the caliber of competition the Tigers would face throughout the season.

"The East Stroudsburg Open was a great experience for our team," assistant coach Kevin Lake said of the tournament. "We had some strong performances from our upperclassman, and the young members of our team grew up a little this weekend. It was a competitive tournament, and you can learn as much from one loss as you do from all the wins."

Adams focused on the importance of the upcoming weekend's matches. With the approaching EIWAs, the team needs each match to build momentum.

"This is the real meaty part of the season, marked by tough competition," Adams said, "but this is still a time that our guys have to improve and peak. I'm confident that the Eastern Championships is where we'll put our best foot out on the mat."