On Friday (November 13), the LHU wrestling team will renew its local rivalry with Penn State on the road at a sold-out Rec Hall (7 p.m.).
 
On Sunday (Nov. 15), the Bald Eagles will travel to the Northest Duals.
 
Setting the stage:
Friday's match at Penn State is set for a 7 p.m. start and marks Lock Haven's first dual of the 2015-16 season. Penn State is ranked second in this week's USA Today/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division I Coaches poll.
 
LHU and Penn State didn't meet last season and the Nittany Lions won the last meeting (Dec. 24, 2013), 34-6. Friday marks the 40^th all-time between the two local Division I powers.
 
Fans, who can't make it out to Penn State's Rec Hall on Friday, can listen to the match online at http://therecord-online.com or listen live and locally on AM 1230 WBPZ, as part of the Penn State wrestling network.
 
The Northeast Duals:
On Sunday, the Bald Eagles will head to the Northeast Duals, hosted by Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. LIVE RESULTS will be available on Sunday.
 
- Schedule for Sunday's action –
9:20 a.m. vs. No. 10 Nebraska
11:15 a.m. vs. Hofstra
3:15 p.m. vs. Buffalo
 
Bald Eagles projected dual lineup:
Lock Haven (0-0, 0-0 Eastern Wrestling League)
 
125: R-So. Jake Field (South Elgin, Ill./Marmion Academy) 6-4
133: R-Sr. Bobby Rehm (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) 3-1
141: #12 R-Sr. Dan Neff (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) 3-2
149: R-Sr. Cody Wheeler (Towanda, Pa./Towanda) 0-0
- OR – R-So. Kyle Hammond (Nottingham, Pa./Solanco) 8-4
157: R-Sr. Aaron McKinney (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) 4-3
165: R-Jr. Dillon Gavlock (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) 1-2
- OR – Fr. Cody Cordes (Edwardsville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) 7-4
174: R-Jr. Tyler Wood (West Chester, Pa./West Chester-Rustin) 3-2
184: R-Fr. Tristan Sponseller (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) 4-0
197: R-Sr. Phil Sprenkle (Seven Valleys, Pa./Dallastown) 3-1
285: Jr. Brad Emerick (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Coughlin) 2-2
 
LHU Coaches:
Head Coach: Scott Moore (third season)
Assistant Coaches: Steven Fittery (third season) Rob Weikel (second season) & Spencer Myers (first season)
 
What to watch for:
The Bald Eagles will open dual-match action this weekend and although the lineup will look familiar with a number of starters back from a year ago, it will however still have a fresh feel because of shuffling in weights. Several Bald Eagles have made a weight-class change for this season, including Dan Neff, Bobby Rehm, Cody Wheeler and Aaron McKinney. Neff moves down to 141, Rehm down to 133, Wheeler up to 149 and McKinney down to 157 to strengthen The Haven lineup.
 
All-American Neff returns:
Returning All-American Dan Neff (R-Sr., 141) will made his season-debut at last Sunday's Binghamton Open. Last year, Neff was eighth at the 149 pound weight class at the NCAA Championships, marking Lock Haven's first All-American since 2007. This year Neff moves back down to 141, where he competed during the 2013-14 and 2011-12 seasons. Last season, Neff was 25-15 at 149 and last year's NCAA Tournament marked Neff's third straight appearance at the championships. This week, Neff is ranked No. 12 by the WrestlingReport, No. 12 by both InterMat and No. 11 by The Open Mat.
 
Bald Eagles in the national rankings:
Dan Neff (141) is ranked in three different national rankings this week -

• InterMat, #12
• The Open Mat, #11
• Wrestling Report, #12

 
Along with Neff, three other Bald Eagles were ranked this week by WrestlingReport, including Bobby Rehm (133, #32), Tristan Sponseller (184, #32) and Phil Sprenkle (197, #32).
 
Sponseller is also ranked No. 20 by The Open Mat.
 
Last time out:
LHU competed at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open, hosted by Binghamton University (Sunday, November 8). Jake Field went 2-2 at 125 pounds. Returning All-American Dan Neff got off to a fast start early in the tournament, winning his first three matches. He finished 3-2 overall at 141 pounds. Cody Cordes and Tyler Wood both finished 3-2 on the day at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. Adam Mackie went 2-2 at 184. Competing unattached, 2015 National Qualifier Ronnie Perry turned in a strong outing for the Bald Eagles at 141 pounds as well. After getting pinned in his first match, Perry went on a tear and won his next six matches, which included him pinning Rick Durso, ranked in the top-10 at the time. Perry was 6-1 on the day when he defaulted out of the tournament.
 
LHU opens season at Clarion Open (November 1):
LHU opened the season at Clarion Open (Sunday, November 8). A total of 15 (six attached, nine unattached) Bald Eagles competed. Overall, LHU wrestlers went 50-22 overall for a .694 winning-percentage. In all, LHU had 10 major decisions, seven tech falls and seven pins. LHU crowned one champion (Tristan Sponseller; 184, had three guys finish second (Bobby Rehm; 133, Aaron McKinney; 157 & Phil Sprenkle; 197), one finish third and two take fourth.
 
Aiming to hit the magic # of 100:
Last season, Fred Garcia became 16^th member of LHU's 100-win club. This year three Bald Eagles will look to crack the prestigious 100-win plateau.
 
Where they stand –
Bobby Rehm, 83 wins
Dan Neff, 86 wins
McKinney, 75 wins
 
Moore & Fittery enter third year at helm:
LHU head coach Scott Moore enters his third year as the head coach of the Bald Eagles. In the previous two seasons, LHU has gone 10-22. Assistant coach Steve Fittery has been Moore's right-hand man every step of the way and also enters his third season. The two have helped take LHU back to the top. Last year the duo led one student-athlete to All-American status, marking LHU's first All-American since 2007.
 
Starters returning:
LHU returns seven of its 10 regular dual-match starters from a year ago and that experience should bolster the lineup. Jake Field, Bobby Rehm, Dan Neff, Aaron McKinney, Tyler Wood, Phil Sprenkle and Brad Emerick were all starters last year. Cody Wheeler, a regular starter two seasons ago also returns to the lineup this season.
 
Add Sponseller to the mix:
Redshirt-freshman Tristan Sponseller joins the lineup this season at 184 pounds and looks solidify the spot left open in the lineup from the departure of three-time NCAA qualifier Fred Garcia. Sponseller went 26-13 last year while competing unattached. In Sponseller's senior season at Bermudian Springs he went undefeated on the way to a PIAA State Championship. He was a state runner-up as a junior and a three-time PIAA Championship placewinner.
 
A look at last year:
During the 2014-15 season, LHU went 3-3 in EWL action (7-12 overall). The three conference wins mark Lock Haven's most EWL wins since the Bald Eagles were 3-3 during the 2004-05 season. At the 2015 EWL Championships, Lock Haven finished third overall with 101.5 points, thanks to a strong all-around day that saw all 10 wrestlers place among the top-five and nine, who finished fourth or better. It marks the second straight season where LHU has finished third at the EWL Championships. In 2014, when the Bald Eagles took third, it marked their highest finish since 2007.
 
Up next for the Bald Eagles:
Following Sunday's trip to the Northeast Duals, Lock Haven will host Purdue and Shippensburg on Saturday, November 21.
 
Projected Penn State lineup:
125: #2 Nico Megaludis, 0-0
133: #8 Jordan Conaway, 0-0
141: #2 Jimmy Gulibon, 0-0
149: #2 Zain Retherford, 0-0
157: #6 Jason Nolf, 0-0
165: #14 Garett Hammond, 0-0
- OR – Shakur Rasheed, 0-0
174: #14 Bo Nickal, 0-0
184: #14 Matt McCutcheon, 0-0
197: #1 Morgan McIntosh, 0-0
285: Jan Johnson, 0-0
 
Projected Nebraska lineup:
125: #10 Tim Lambert, 4-0
133: #11 Eric Montoya, 5-0
- OR – Colton McCrystal, 3-1
141: #7 Anthony Abidin, 0-0
149: #5 Jake Sueflohn, 5-0
157: Tyler Berger, 4-0
165: #5 Austin Wilson, 0-0
- OR – Dustin Williams 4-0
174: Micah Barnes, 4-0
184: #10 TJ Dudley, 0-0
197: #9 Aaron Studebaker, 3-1
285: Collin Jensen, 3-1
 
Projected Hofstra lineup:
125: Bryan Damon, 5-2
133: Connor Burkert, 0-0
141: #15 Jamel Hudson, 0-0
149: Aaron Hartman, 0-0
157: Jahlani Callender, 6-2
165: Bobby Fehr, 1-2
174: Frank Affronti, 4-2
- OR – Jermaine John, 2-2
184: Cory Damiana, 3-2
197: Omar Haddad, 3-2
- OR – Michael Oxley, 0-2
285: Michael Hughes, 6-0
 
Projected Buffalo lineup:
125: Kyle Akins, 2-0
133: Bryan Landtry, 1-1
141: Jason Estevez, 1-1
149: Colt Cotton, 2-0
157: Tim Schaefer, 1-1
165: Tyler Rill, 2-0
174: Muhamad McBryde, 2-0
184: Joe Ariola, 2-0
197: James Benjamin, 2-0
285: Jake Gunning, 1-1
 
*projected lineups are subject change
*individual rankings are based off InterMat Rankings (Tuesday, Nov. 10)