Buffalo Wrestling hits the road for Tri-match with Clarion and Appalachian State

After taking a week break for finals after the frustrating defeat at the hands of nationally ranked Kent State the UB wrestling team will be hitting the road this weekend for a tri-match with the Clarion Golden Eagles and the Appalachian State Mountaineers today at Clarion University in Pennsylvania. UB has had trouble with Clarion in the past and Appalachian State is coming off an upset win over nationally ranked Duke, so John Stutzman's squad will be in for anything but a cakewalk.

Clarion (4-5)

All-Time Series: Clarion lead 9-6

Last Meeting: UB lost 34-7, 30 November 2013

2015 Common Opponents: App State, Ohio, EMU, NIU, Columbia, Lock Haven, WVU

Key Matchup: (141) Brandon Lapi vs. #22 Brock Zacherl

Lapi is coming off of a strong 4-0 decision victory at Kent State, UB's only victory in the dual meet; today he will likely take on #22 Brock Zacherl who is an excellent grappler in his own right and Lapi will have his hands full for the full 7 minutes. Zacherl is a former Pennsylvania state champion that is quick on his feet and wrestles with a non-stop motor, so Lapi, the former New York state champion will need to be quick on his toes and ready for shot attempts at any moment. An upset win would be a big confidence boost for Lapi but will be critical in helping UB succeed in a very winnable dual.

Appalachian State (4-2)

All-Time Series: UB leads 6-0

Last Meeting: UB won 20-18, 2 November 2014

2015 Common Opponents: Clarion, Gardner-Webb, Ohio, Missouri

Key Matchup: (285) Jake Gunning vs. #9 Denzel Dejournette

After a strong start to the season, redshirt freshman Jake Gunning has hit a slump and has lost 3 of his last 4 matches. Gunning has been heralded as a guy that is a potential All-American this season by Coach Stutzman and it's time that Gunning gets back on track. Dejournette is a former national qualifier and was the #12 seed in last season's national tournament and is currently ranked in the top 10 in the nation by several outlets. Last season's match against App State came down to the wire and UB needed wins in the upper weights to seal the victory and today's match could very well come down to that; an upset win by Gunning would be momentous for his confidence going forward and to help him break back into the national rankings after falling out.