#6 Michigan Kicks off Wrestling's Home Schedule
11/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
BUFFALO, NY - The Buffalo wrestling team will kick off the 2011-12 home schedule Friday evening with a marquee matchup against #6 Michigan. It will be the team's second straight home opener against a top 10 team and it marks the first chance Kevin Smith will have to reach 100 career wins.
In order for Smith to become the seventh wrestler in program history, he will need to pull the biggest upset of his career. Michigan's 141-pound starter Kellen Russell has won 44 straight matches, including a 38-0 record and a national championship last season.
Most recently, the Bulls were swept at the 2nd annual Wrestle for a Cure Duals. Max Soria was the lone UB wrestler to win all four of his dual matches, and he did it in style with a pin and major decision. Mark Lewandowski, Jake Waste and Smith all went 3-1 in the event. For the season, Lewandowski leads the team with nine wins overall.
The two teams met last season in the second round of the Virginia Duals, with the Wolverines taking a 29-7 win. Buffalo earned wins at 149 and 174 pounds, but with only two starters from last season in the probable starting lineup, the young Bulls will offer Michigan a brand-new look. Michigan owns a 2-0 lead in the series, also winning in 2007.
The match will kick off at 5 pm, and a live chat and video feed will be available through the team's schedule page at BuffaloBulls.com.
Probable Starters
125 – Max Soria vs. Sean Boyle OR Grant Pizzo
133 – Justin Farmer vs. Zac Stevens
141 – Kevin Smith vs. Kellen Russell
149 – Blake Roulo vs. Eric Grajales OR Mike Hillock
157 – Mark Lewandowski vs. Brandon Zeerip OR Jake Salazar
165 – Dom Montesanti OR Matt Dehney vs. Dan Yates
174 – Matt Dehney OR Dom Montesanti vs. Justin Zeerip
184 – Jake Waste vs. Collin Zeerip OR Chris Heald
197 – Justin Heiserman vs. Max Huntley
HWT – Tyler Peter vs. Ben Apland
