SIUE wrestling welcomes Big Ten opponent in Northwestern

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s lineup is unchanged from a week ago at Indiana, but the Cougars will be matching up against another Big Ten opponent, this time at the Vadalabene Center.

The first match is set for 7 p.m. Saturday between the Cougars and Northwestern Wildcats.

“I think this weekend is another good opportunity to see where we are as a team,” said SIUE head coach Jeremy Spates. “We pride ourselves in wrestling tough teams.”

Spates said several matches should provide excitement for fans.

“I hope we can continue to see big crowds for these matches,” said Spates.

The 149-pound match features SIUE’s Jon Fahy against Northwestern’s Jason Tsirtis, who is ranked No. 3 nationally, is a two-time Big Ten champion and is the 2014 national champion at the weight class.

The 157-pound match also figures to be a rematch from the 2014 Illinois High School Association Class 3A 152-pound championship match. Northwestern’s Bryce Brill defeated SIUE’s Nate Higgins in the previous meeting.

News-Democrat

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "SIUE wrestling welcomes Big Ten opponent in Northwestern."