Setting the stage:
The Lock Haven University wrestling team is set to return to Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) action this week.
 
The Bald Eagles will head to Cleveland State tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 26) for a 7 p.m. dual. LHU is looking to snap a two-match losing streak to the Vikings. Cleveland State is 1-6 overall and 0-2 in EWL action.
 
On Friday (Jan. 27), Lock Haven will take on Edinboro University at 7 p.m. The Fighting Scots are ranked No. 25 in this week's USA Today/NWCA Poll. Edinboro is 6-4 overall and 4-0 in EWL action. Fans can watch the match at Edinboro at http://www.flowrestling.org/ (PVP, $).
 
Lock Haven is 5-7 overall and 2-1 in EWL action.
 
News, notes & storylines:

• Last week (1/20/17), the NCAA released its first of four NCAA Coaches' Panel rankings and four Bald Eagles were ranked – Ronnie Perry (#21, 141), Corey Hazel (#28, 184), Tristan Sponseller (#30, 197) & Thomas Haines (#15, 285).
• The NCAA Coaches' Panel rankings are an important tool in determining qualifiers for the NCAA Championships.
• Also last week, the NCAA released its award standings and both Adam Mackie (174) and Haines (285) were listed.
• Mackie was ranked No. 3 in pins with nine and Haines is ranked No. 5 in tech falls.
• Last week, LHU was without the services of Perry and Hazel, but both are expected to return to the lineup soon.
• Haines was also ranked No. 14 this week by InterMat.
• Both Perry and Haines are ranked by FloWrestling: Perry, #17 and Haines, #20.
• LHU will be looking to snap a three-match dual losing skid.
• Lock Haven's last EWL action was December 16, a 27-12 win at Bloomsburg.
• LHU is 26-11 all-time vs. Cleveland State, but has lost two straight to the Vikings. Cleveland State won 18-15 last season.
• LHU is 27-22 all-time vs. Edinboro. Last season, Edinboro won 21-13 and Lock Haven's last win over the Fighting Scots came in 2002.

 
Projected Lock Haven lineup:
125: R-Jr. Jake Field (South Elgin, Ill./Marmion Academy) 12-11
133: R-Fr. DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren) 24-7
141: #21 R-Jr. Ronnie Perry (Christiana, Pa./Solanco) 21-5
- or - So. Lewis Williams (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) 5-17
149: R-Fr. Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) 25-12
157: R-Jr. Kyle Hammond (Nottingham, Pa./Solanco) 11-16
- or – Fr. Jonathan Ross (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York) 5-7
165: Fr. Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) 17-16
174: R-Sr. Tyler Wood (West Chester, Pa./West Chester-Rustin) 13-12
- or - Sr. Adam Mackie (Bechtelsville, Pa./Brandywine Heights) 18-11
184: #28 R-Fr. Corey Hazel (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) 23-7
197: #30 R-So. Tristan Sponseller (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) 23-6
285: #15 R-So. Thomas Haines (Quarryville, Pa./Ohio State) 26-4
 
*rankings = NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings (1/20/17)
 
LHU starts quick, but edged by No. 10 Cornell (1/22/17):
Lock Haven got off to a hot start and won three of the first five bouts, including upset-victories from 133-pounder DJ Fehlman and 197-pounder Tristan Sponseller, but in the end No. 10 Cornell proved too strong and pulled away from the upset-minded Bald Eagles for a 31-15 non-conference win.
 
Sponseller, Thomas Haines, Kyle Shoop and Fehlman all won for Lock Haven. Fehlman's win was a big one as he shutout No. 17 Mark Grey, 4-0, marking a signature win for Fehlman, who moved down to 133-pounds in late December.
 
Bald Eagles topped by Penn (1/21/17):
Competing at the historic Palestra Arena on the campus of the University of the Pennsylvania, LHU picked up four wins, but it wasn't enough to help the short-handed Bald Eagles get past a tough-Penn squad, as the Quakers won the meet, 25-14.
 
Penn entered the match with four wrestlers ranked in the most recent NCAA Coaches' Panel rankings, including No. 15 Frank Mattiace, who edged No. 30 Tristan Sponseller, 3-2 in a thriller at 197 pounds. Kyle Shoop, Thomas Haines, Jake Field and DJ Fehlman all posted wins for Lock Haven.
 
Last week at the Virginia Duals (1/13-1/14/17):
Lock Haven opened the duals with a dominating 32-10 win over Kent State and the Bald Eagles capped the day with a win over Chattanooga, edging the Mocs, 19-18. The win over UTC to close day one, helped LHU bounce back from a 35-6 loss to No. 5 Virginia Tech University in The Haven's second match of the day. The Bald Eagles used three pins from Fehlman, Hazel and Haines and a tech-fall from Sponseller in the victory over Kent State. Against Virginia Tech Lewis Williams picked up LHU's lone victory with a fall early in the first period over Kevin Norstren.
 
Kyle Shoop and Jared Siegrist had solid weekends for the Bald Eagles both going 2-2 and winning matches over Kent State and UTC.
 
In the 19-18 victory over UTC Shoop and Siegrist were joined by fellow freshman Jonathan Ross. The three freshmen picked up back-to-back-to-back victories in the middle of the Bald Eagle lineup providing 10 of LHU's 19 points.
 
To cap off the Virginia Duals the Bald Eagles fell to host Virginia 31-11. Mackie and Haines picked up the two victories both by bonus points. Mackie teched Christopher Yankowich and Haines pinned Tyler Love.  
 
Shoop & Sponseller roll to title at F&M Open (1/7/17):
Kyle Shoop and Tristan Sponseller both went 5-0 on the way to individual titles at 149 and 197 pounds, respectively, to pace another strong effort by LHU at the David H. Lehman Open, hosted by Franklin & Marshall. DJ Fehlman added a third-place finish at 133 and Adam Mackie placed fourth at 174.
Shoop cruised to the title at 149, thanks to a perfect 5-0 mark. Shoop recorded three straight decisions to open the tournament before picking up a tech fall over Adam Whitesell of Maryland, 18-2 in the semifinals. In the finals, Shoop rolled past Ryan Kemmerer (Temple) 7-2 for the title.
 
Sponseller once again dominated the field at 197 and finished 5-0. He opened the day with a tech fall and never looked back. Sponseller topped Zach Bruce (Pittsburgh) 8-4 in the semifinals, before taking care of business in the finals with an 8-5 victory over Bennett Paulson (USMAPS).
 
Fehlman was an impressive 6-1 on the day and he's now 11-1 overall since moving down from 141 to 133 for the Lock Haven Classic (Dec. 29, 2016). He started today's tournament 2-0 before being downed by Tariq Wilson (North Carolina State, UNA) in the quarterfinals, 9-4. After the loss to Wilson in the quarters, Fehlman rattled off four straight wins to take third overall and he avenged his loss to Wilson, dominating him 13-4 on the way to a major in the third-place bout.
 
Sponseller named PSAC Athlete of the Week (1/9/17):
Tristan Sponseller was named the week's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Athlete of the Week on Monday, January 9.
 
Since finishing as the PSAC runner-up on December 10, Sponseller has done nothing, but win. The redshirt-sophomore, who is in his first season at 197 pounds is riding a 10-match win streak and coming off individual titles at two major tournaments.
 
On Saturday (Jan. 7), Sponseller was 5-0 and claimed the title at the David H. Lehman Open, hosted by Franklin & Marshall. Sponseller's title at F&M came just nine days after he was a perfect 4-0 on the way to the individual crown at the Lock Haven Classic (Dec. 29), which helped power the Bald Eagles to team title in a strong 14-team field.
 
This is the first PSAC Wrestling Athlete of the Week award since December 20. Sponseller is the second Bald Eagle this season to be named PSAC Wrestling of the Week (Corey Hazel, 11/14/16).
 
Lock Haven Classic Champions (12/29/16):
LHU closed the 2016 calendar year in style as the Bald Eagles crowned four champions including DJ Fehlman, who was named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler and The Haven won the 14-team Lock Haven Classic by 38.5 points. It marked LHU's first team title in the tournament's six-year history. Leading the way for the Bald Eagles was Fehlman, who went 5-0 and claimed the individual crown at 133 pounds in his debut at the weight class. Corey Hazel, Tristan Sponseller and Thomas Haines also won titles for the Bald Eagles.
 
Bald Eagles roll past Bloomsburg (12/16/16):
The Bald Eagles shook off the finals-week rust with a dominating EWL victory over local-rival Bloomsburg in the battle of Interstate-80. LHU won six of 10 bouts and improved to 2-1 in league action with a dominating 27-12 win over the Huskies. The win was Lock Haven's third straight over Bloom.
 
LHU second at the PSAC Tournament (12/10/16):
The Bald Eagles crowned two champions as nine of 10 wrestlers placed on the way to a second-place finish at the 2016-17 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships. Ronnie Perry (141) and Thomas Haines (285) won titles, and both Kyle Shoop (149) and Tristan Sponseller (197) took second.  
 
LHU opens EWL action with 1-1 record (12/3/16 & 12/4/16):
LHU opened Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) dual action with a tight-loss to defending EWL Tournament Champion Rider, before dominating George Mason in a bounce-back match.
 
In the 20-14 loss to Rider (Saturday, Dec. 3), LHU got wins from Ronnie Perry (141), Kyle Shoop (149), Corey Hazel (184) and Thomas Haines (285), but Rider's quick start was too much to overcome.
 
A day later (Sunday, Dec. 4), the Bald Eagles bounced back in a big way, winning seven of 10 bouts, including three major decisions and a tech fall in a 25-19 win over George Mason. Perry, Jared Siegrist (165) and Hazel all won by major decision and Haines added a tech fall.
 
Three champs at Mat-Town Open:
LHU hosted the 11th annual Mat-Town Open Tournament (Sunday, November 27) and the Bald Eagles came away with three champions, which highlighted a strong outing for Lock Haven.
 
Ronnie Perry, Kyle Shoop and Tristan Sponseller were all crowned champions at their respective weight classes. Jake Field, DJ Fehlman, Tyler Wood and Adam Mackie all placed second.
 
It was an all-around solid day for the Bald Eagles as 11 advanced to the semifinals. Lock Haven sent seven to the finals including the all-LHU final at 141 pounds between Perry and Fehlman. On the day, LHU went a combined 46-25.
 
Lock Haven falls to Michigan State:
On Saturday, November 26 Lock Haven dropped its 2016-17 home-opener to Michigan State, 24-12. The Bald Eagles got a hard-fought win from Tyler Wood at 174 and Tristan Sponseller and nationally-ranked Thomas Haines were dominant and put on clinics in victories at 197 and 285, respectively, but it wasn't enough to carry Lock Haven to victory tonight.
 
All three of Lock Haven's wins came in the final four bouts and although the Bald Eagles rallied for bonus points thanks to Sponseller's major decision and Haines' tech fall, the early defecit was too much to overcome.
 
LHU 1-1 at Cavalier Duals:
On Sunday, November 20, LHU split a pair of matches. Lock Haven rallied for a thrilling 20-18 win over Maryland in the day's opener and LHU looked poised for another comeback-win vs. host-Virginia, but the Cavaliers held on a for a 24-16 victory. In the thrilling win over Maryland, the Bald Eagles won 6 of 10 bouts, including the final four as they rallied past the Terps. In the loss to UVA, the Bald Eagles picked up four wins including the last three of the match. Jake Field, Ronnie Perry, Tyler Wood, Corey Hazel, Tristan Sponseller and Thomas Haines accounted for Lock Haven's wins in the thrilling comeback-victory over Maryland. Hazel and Haines capped perfect 2-0 days after recording wins vs. Virginia. Jared Siegrist and Adam Mackie also recorded victories vs. UVA.
 
2 & a row vs. the Big Ten:
The win over Maryland on Sunday, November 20 marked Lock Haven's second over a Big Ten opponent in as many tries. Last season (February 12, 2016), LHU beat Michigan State marking Lock Haven's first win over a Big Ten program since Lock Haven beat Penn State in 2002. The Bald Eagles beat Rutgers back in 2007, but at the time, the Scarlet Knights were still a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).
 
Bald Eagles strong at Journeymen Collegiate Classic; Hazel the biggest story:
For the second weekend (Sunday, Nov. 13) in a row Corey Hazel led the way for the LHU as the Bald Eagles competed at the new-look Journeymen Collegiate Classic hosted by Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York.
 
Hazel looked quite comfortable under the new format and rattled off three wins to go 3-0 and win his 184-pound pool and bracket. Today's 3-0 mark helped Hazel improve to a perfect 8-0 on the season.
 
Ronnie Perry went 2-1 and finished second in his 141-pound bracket and Gavin Caprio finished second his 174-pound bracket after going 2-1. Adam Mackie was 2-1 and finished third in his bracket at 184. Thomas Haines made his LHU debut and finished 1-1 (fourth) at 285. DJ Fehlman was a perfect 3-0 and won his pool at 141.
 
Hazel named PSAC Athlete of the Week:
On Monday, November 14, Corey Hazel was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Athlete of the Week.
 
The redshirt-freshman picked up his second individual title (184 pounds) in as many weekends at Sunday's (Nov. 13) Journeymen Collegiate Classic. Hazel went 3-0 on the way to the title and improved to a perfect 8-0 on the season. Hazel was 5-0 at last week's Clarion Open (Nov. 6) as he cruised to the title there as well.
 
At Sunday's Journeymen Classic, Hazel defeated Jack Rozema (Ohio State) 14-8, Matthew Rundell (North Carolina) 5-4 and Brett Perry (Buffalo) 9-4. At Clarion, Hazel was 5-0 on the day. After starting 3-0 with three decisions, he picked up a tech fall in the semifinals and a pin in the finals.
 
LHU opens season; Hazel paces effort at Clarion Open:
LHU opened the 2016-17 season at the Clarion Open on Sunday, November 6 and redshirt-freshman Corey Hazel led the way for the Bald Eagles as he took home the individual title at 184-pounds. Hazel was one of three LHU wrestlers who advanced to the finals.
 
Both redshirt-junior Ronnie Perry and redshirt-freshman Kyle Shoop finished second at their respective weight classes. Perry was second at 141 and Shoop placed second at 149.
 
Hazel went 5-0 on the day. After starting 3-0 with three decisions, he picked up a tech fall in the semifinals and a pin in the finals. Perry went 4-1 with three tech falls, while Shoop was 3-1. It marked the second straight year where LHU officially opened its season at the Clarion Open.
 
Perry picks up win at All-Star Classic:
Redshirt-junior Ronnie Perry competed at the 51st All-Star Classic in Cleveland on Saturday, November 5. He picked up a win in all-Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) battle. Perry took down Cleveland State's Evan Cheek, 8-2 in a "showcase/prelim" bout.
 
A look back at last season:
The 2015-16 season proved to be another big year for the LHU wrestling program as the Bald Eagles dominated both on and off the mats. Last spring (2016), LHU sent two more wrestlers (Dan Neff & Phil Sprenkle) to the NCAA Division I Championships in New York City. For the NCAA Tournament bound LHU grapplers, it marked Dan Neff's fourth trip to the sport's biggest stage. Neff won the 2016 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) title at 149 pounds, marking LHU's first individual EWL Champion since 2010. During the 2015-16 season, three LHU wrestlers hit the prestigious 100-win mark: Dan Neff, Bobby Rehm and Aaron McKinney. Last season, LHU was 9-9 overall and went 3-3 in the highly competitive EWL. Highlighting the regular season was LHU's win over Michigan State, which was Lock Haven's first win over a Big Ten program since 2002. The Bald Eagles finished second at the 2015 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships and were third at the 2016 EWL Championships with four EWL finalists.
 
Academic standard is high:
Last season, off the mat, senior Phil Sprenkle was named an Academic All-American and he earned a spot on the PSAC's Winter Top-10 List, which is one of the most prestigious academic honors one can achieve. As a team, Lock Haven was ranked No. 23 among all Division I programs with a cumulative team-GPA of 3.123. A total of 15 LHU wrestlers earned a spot on the EWL All-Academic Team.
 
Moore in fourth season:
LHU head coach Scott Moore is in his fourth year as the head coach of the storied Bald Eagle wrestling program. He was hired in July 2013, and has quickly led a Lock Haven resurgence and positioned Mat-Town U.S.A. back on the national wrestling scence where it so rightfully belongs. In three seasons, Moore has led nine student-athletes to the NCAA Division I Tournament.
 
Top-notch coaching staff:
Head coach Scott Moore has established a top-notch staff. In July (2016), LHU hired Nate Carr, Jr. as the new assistant coach. Carr is a 2012 Iowa State graduate and former standout for the Division I power-Cyclones. Moore and Carr lead a talented and driven group of assistant coaches.
 
Team captains:
During the preseason, LHU head coach Scott Moore announced that redshirt-senior Tyler Wood and redshirt-junior Ronnie Perry were named the team's 2016-17 captains, which were voted on by the student-athletes. Perry, a 2015 NCAA national qualifier who redshirted last season, enters the 2016-17 season ranked nationally at 141 pounds.  Wood won 18 matches for the Bald Eagles last season at 174 pounds.
 
Perry returns:
Former national qualifier, Ronnie Perry returns to the LHU lineup in 2016-17 after a scheduled redshirt-season last season (2015-16). Perry, a 2015 NCAA qualifier at 133 pounds enters the season with 43-20 career record. Those 43 career wins don't include the 25 he ripped off competing unattached last season. Perry went a remarkable 25-4 competing unattached at several tournaments last season as the national wrestling scene quickly took notice after he knocked off a number of returning All-Americans and top-10 wrestlers. Highlighting the unattached season was Perry's sixth-place finish at the prestigious Midlands Tournament. It marked LHU's first Midlands placewinner since 2003.
 
Transfers set to make a difference:
Lock Haven will quickly look for transfers Patrick Duggan and Thomas Haines to bolster the Bald Eagles lineup. Duggan, a redshirt-freshman will compete at 149, while Haines, a redshirt-sophomore will look to lead the way at 285.
 
Duggan was a four-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) placewinner. Competing for Cumberland Valley High School, Duggan, finished his career with a remarkable 160-11 record. He was a two-time PIAA state finalist and ranked as high as fifth in the nation at 145 pounds during his scholastic career.
 
While competing at Solanco High School, Haines went 174-5 overall and won four PIAA state titles. He was 42-0 as a senior. Last season, while competing for Ohio State, Haines won the Penn State Open (285) and he helped seal a big dual-win over Illinois with a 3-2 victory over nationally-ranked Brooks Black.
 
Talented recruiting class:
The Bald Eagles 2016 recruiting class, made up of eight talented true-freshmen, was ranked No. 14 by InterMat. Leading the way is true-freshman Jared Siegrist, the projected starter at 165. Lock Haven will also benefit from the return of a number of redshirt-freshmen, including Corey Hazel, the projected starter at 184.
 
Returning starters:
Jake Field (R-Jr.; 125), Tyler Wood (R-Sr.; 174) and Tristan Sponseller (R-So.; 197 (184 last season)) are all projected returning starters, who return from action last season. Last year, the trio picked up a combined 54 wins.
 
Projected number 1's:
Jake Field (R-Jr.; 125), Joe Ghione (Jr.; 133), Kyle Hammond (R-Jr.; 157), Tyler Wood (R-Sr.; 174) and Tristan Sponseller (R-So.; 197) are all returners from last season, who are projected No. 1's at their respective weight class this year entering the season. The five combined for 83 wins last season.
 
Sponseller makes a move:
Redshirt-sophomore Tristian Sponseller, who won 22 matches last season at 184, has made the move up to 197 this season. He entered the 2016 EWL Tournament as the No. 2 seed at 184 and will be a major force for the Bald Eagles this year.
 
Field to get things started:
Jake Field returns and will provide the Bald Eagles with plenty of energy at 125. The redshirt-junior won 14 matches last season and picked up four dual-match wins, including two in EWL action. Field has 34 career wins and finished second last March at the 2016 EWL Championships.
 
Senior leadership:
LHU will rely on seniors Brad Emerick, Adam Mackie and Tyler Wood for experience and leadership all season. The trio should provide a huge amount of confidence for the Bald Eagles.  
 
Up next:
After Friday's meet at nationally-ranked Edinboro, Lock Haven will return to the home mats Thursday, February 2 at 7 p.m. when the Bald Eagles host rival Clarion University (EWL).