Penn State-Army wrestling preview: Start time, how to watch, lineup projections, more

The Penn State wrestling team opens Rec Hall for the first time this year on Thursday night.

Army comes to State College for the Nittany Lions’ first home match of the year. It marks the Black Knights’ first dual of the season, while head coach Cael Sanderson’s side already has a perfect 2-0 start under its belt after beating Sacred Heart and Oregon State last weekend.

“We are going to cherish this time that we have back with our fans, and hopefully, we can put on a show,” Penn State associate head coach Cody Sanderson told reporters this week.

“We want our guys to go wrestle hard, we want them to go score points and make sure that this is a memorable experience as everybody returns back from COVID.”

When does Penn State-Army start?

The first bout begins at 7 p.m. ET inside of Rec Hall.

Radio, TV information

Penn State-Army will be streamed on pay-for-service Big Ten Plus. A free radio call with the voice of the Lions, Jeff Byers, can be found on LionVision.

Parking information

Penn State has a new parking setup for home sporting events this year. Here’s what you need to know for matches at Rec Hall, courtesy of a news release:

“Parking for Penn State Wrestling duals in Rec Hall will be available at the following locations beginning two hours prior to the start of each event.

•         Nittany Deck, West Deck (No charge with a valid Penn State parking permit; $5.50 prepaid through ParkMobile (season package available for $5 per game; Note: does not include BJC Dual) – https://psu.parkmobile.io/rec-hall; $10 day-of-event without a valid permit or prepayment (must use ground level or in-lane pay station after the event)

•         Rec Hall and Lion Shrine ADA Parking; Available on a first-come, first-served basis with a valid Penn State permit, ParkMobile prepayment ($5.50) or day-of-event ParkMobile app payment ($10 – zone no. 95105); Note: The Rec Hall and Lion Shrine parking areas are not selectable prepayment options. Fans must select Nittany Deck or West Deck.

REC HALL PARKMOBILE PREPAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

•         Visit https://psu.parkmobile.io/rec-hall; Select game or season package at the bottom of the page; Select parking area; Enter the license plate information for the vehicle being driven to the event; Note: If a different vehicle must be driven than the one registered at purchase, users must contact ParkMobile Member Support through the ParkMobile website or app (Settings – Chat Support) to request a vehicle change for that reservation.; Purchase parking for the event

•         Note: Prepayment is required by 11:59 p.m. the night before each event or the day-of-event rate will apply.

Bout of the night

There are a couple of options here, but let’s go with the expected 149-pound showdown. The Lions will roll with Beau Bartlett, who notched a pair of wins at the Journeymen Duals, opposite Army’s P.J. Ogunsanya. He’s No. 20 per InterMat.

Projected Penn State-Army bouts

This list is courtesy of Penn State Athletics. Penn State wrestlers are listed first. Rankings are via InterMat.

125 pounds: Baylor Shunk (1-1) OR Brandon Meredith (0-0) vs. Ryan Chauvin (1-2)

133 pounds: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young (2-0) vs. Mark Montgomery (1-2)

141 pounds: No. 1 Nick Lee vs. No. 29 Corey Shie (2-1)

149 pounds: No. 27 Beau Bartlett (2-0) vs. No. 20 P.J. Ogunsanya (3-0)

157 pounds: Terrell Barraclough (0-0) OR Joe Lee (0-0) vs. No. 32 Markus Hartman (0-3)

165 pounds: No. 32 Creighton Edsell (2-0) vs. Clayton Fielden (2-1)

174 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci (2-0) vs. No. 21 Ben Pasiuk (1-2)

184 pounds: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (2-0) vs. No. 28 Brad Laughlin (3-0)

197 pounds: No. 4 Max Dean (2-0) OR Micahel Beard (3-0) vs. No. 21 J.T. Brown (2-1)

285 pounds: No. 5 Greg Kerkvliet (2-0) vs. Ben Sullivan (0-0)

Quote of the week

“I think maybe the word is a little cliche, but it is just electric,” Sanderson said when asked about the excitement related to fans coming back to Rec Hall.

“We come in there, it’s dark coming out through the hallway, then we come in and then there’s the crowd and there’s the screens. It is just an enthusiasm that is just hard to replicate.”