Last weekend was gut-check time for the Boston University hockey team when it played two top-10 opponents. This weekend, it is the wrestling team’s turn.
The BU wrestling team travels to Philadelphia on Sunday to take part in the University of Pennsylvania’s Keystone Classic, a tournament featuring two nationally ranked teams and other stiff competition. The Terrier men finished seventh out of nine teams in this tournament last year.
‘This is probably going to be the most difficult competition we see all year,’ said BU Coach Carl Adams. ‘It is definitely going to be an uphill battle.’
The favorite in Philadelphia on Sunday will be Adams’ alma mater, Iowa State University. The Cyclones finished second in the nation last year and are currently ranked No. 6 overall. The host school, the University of Pennsylvania, is ranked No. 19 and should also provide a good challenge.
Adams had high praise for the tournament’s other entrants as well.
‘Rider [University] is a perennial powerhouse in our conference,’ Adams said. ‘Duke [University] and Appalachian State [University] have very strong teams.’
Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Virginia State University, Brown University and the Virginia Military Institute also compete at Pennsylvania on Sunday.
BU is not expecting any specific outcome in Philadelphia, as injuries leave certain weight classes in doubt. Also, the success of the team will hinge on whether the wrestlers can rise to the level of their competition.
‘I expect us to do okay,’ Adams said. ‘A lot depends on how we wrestle. A couple guys are banged up.’
The Terriers will not have a wrestler at 197 pounds this weekend due to injury, and Adams is still deciding whether senior Edward Strauss or freshman John Kazantzidis will move up from 184 pounds in the future. Also, sophomore 125-pounder Joey Rivera will not be at 100 percent with a torn ligament in his thumb.
There are a number of healthy wrestlers that need to step up this weekend in order for BU to be successful at the Keystone Classic.
‘[Freshman 149-pounder] Justin Blumenthal wrestled well last weekend, but this is a whole different animal,’ Adams said, referring to the increase in competition. ‘I expect [senior captain] Jason Holder to do a nice job.’
Adams has faith in his captain Holder, despite the possibility of him having to face the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation in his weight class, Aaron Holker of Iowa State.
‘It’s hard to predict where we will finish. We have our work cut out for us,’ Adams said. ‘But the guys are working hard, and I feel like we’re going to wrestle well.’
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
