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Tenley Swope

Men's Wrestling William McLaughlin

Mountaineers Host Red Hawks in CCC Dual Before Heading to Spokane Open

LA GRANDE, Ore. - No. 19 Eastern Oregon University Men's Wrestling wraps up the home portion of its dual schedule this weekend as the team will host a Cascade Collegiate Conference foe. The Mountaineers will also hit the road for another tournament this weekend to close out the month of November.

OPPONENTS
Simpson Red Hawks (Dual)
Spokane Collegiate Open (Tournament)

WHERE
La Grande, Ore. - Quinn Coliseum (vs. SU)
Spokane, Ore. - Spokane Convention Center (Open)

WHEN
Friday, Nov. 19 - 6 p.m. (vs. SU)
Sunday, Nov. 21 - 9:15 a.m. (Open)

Mat Points
• The Mountaineers dual this weekend against the Red Hawks will be their final one at home for the 2021-22 season.
• Eastern has just three home events inside Quinn Coliseum this season, with two already completed in the Mountaineer Open and a dual against Southern Oregon.
• In dual action, the Mountaineers are still in search of their first win of the season. They are 0-2 overall and 0-1 against CCC opponents.
• There are seven tournaments on the schedule this year for EOU, with two finished up so far in the Mountaineer Open and the Mike Clock Open.
• So far, the Mountaineers have tallied 15 placewinners this season, including four champions. Taking home first place finishes this year have been Jay Smith twice at 197 pounds, Kyle Knudtson at 184 pounds once, and Noel Orozco at 285 pounds once.
• Following this weekend's dual and tournament, Eastern will not be back on the mats until early December. 

EOU Athletics Spectator Policy
• Spectators will be allowed at EOU sporting events, but masks will be required to be worn correctly (over mouth AND nose) at ALL indoor and outdoor events per state and local policy. This is subject to change at any time.
• Failure to comply with conference or institutional attendance policies will result in removal from venue and any further EOU contests.
• General Admission is allowed for both indoor and outdoor events and is on a first come, first serve basis. To see ticket prices for individual EOU sporting events and to purchase tickets, click here.
• Concessions will be available for outdoor EOU athletic events, but not indoor EOU athletic events.
• Students, faculty, and staff wishing to attend indoor EOU Athletic Events can do so for FREE by showcasing their EOU ID card.

How to Watch/Follow
• All home games this year will be webcast on the Mountie Sports Network at www.EOUSports.com/watch. All EOU home games will be Pay-Per-View and can be purchased for $7.95 per game. Fans can also purchase an Eastern Oregon All-Access pass to watch all 2021-22 EOU home sporting events for $100.
• Livestreams for all home games will begin 15 minutes prior to mat action starting.
• Live stats coverage for EOU Men's Wrestling can be found on the team's schedule page.

Quick Hits
Last Time Out

• Mountaineer Men's Wrestling picked up four placewinners on Sunday, including two champions, at theMike Clock Open hosted by Pacific University. Earning first place finishes were Kyle Knudtson and Jay Smith.
• For Knudtson he was the overall champion at 184 pounds to pick up his first tournament title of the 2021-22 season. Smith also walked home undefeated with No. 1 overall finish at 197 pounds. The duo went a combined 9-0 on the day and tallied 42 team points.
• Also earning a podium finish for the Mountaineers were John Bittinger at 165 pounds and Noel Orozco at 285 pounds. Bittinger posted a 3-2 record to place sixth overall, while Orozco was fourth with a 5-2 record.

Previously Against Simpson/Spokane Open
• The Mountaineers and Red Hawks last squared off during the 2019-20 campaign. EOU was the victor in dominating fashion with a 46-0 shutout.
• A big help in the win for EOU over Simpson was a trio of forfeit wins that gave the team an easy 18 points. Keegan Mulhill had the lone pin for Eastern at 174 pounds.
• The last time the Mountaineers were at the Spokane Open, they were the overall team champion.
• EOU racked up 161.5 points, over 20 better than NCAA Division II Simon Fraser who placed second.
• The Mountaineers outscored conference rivals No. 14 Providence and No. 18 Montana State-Northern along with Southern Oregon.
• The Tournament win for the Mountaineers was also their first since the team's reinstatement. 

Scouting the Competition
Simpson Red Hawks

• Simpson is currently 3-3 in dual action this season, with one of those losses coming against Menlo College in a CCC match.
• The Red Hawks have also competed in two tournaments this season in the Bill Musick Invite and the Menlo Open.
• At Menlo, Darius Mynar was the lone placewinner with a fourth place finish at 197 pounds. He was 4-2 on the day to lead Simpson.
• Prior to taking on the Mountaineers, the Red Hawks will face Corban University on Thursday, Nov. 18.

Projected EOU Starting Lineup vs. Simpson
125 - Adrian Guevara OR Raul Ruiz
133 - Luciano Fasulo 
141 - Monte Zufelt
149 - Chad Muenzer OR Vincent Cramer
157 - Chael Williams 
165 - John Bittinger
174 - Keegan Mulhill
184 - Kyle Knudtson 
197 - Jay Smith
285 - Noel Orozco

Up Next
• EOU will be back in action in early December when the team heads north to Montana. The Mountaineers will compete in the Providence Triangular on Friday, Dec. 3 in a pair of duals against opponents that are still to be determined. 
• Following the Triangular, the Mountaineers will remain in Montana for the Battle of the Rockies Open on Saturday, Dec. 4 hosted by the University of Providence. 

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Players Mentioned

John Bittinger

John Bittinger

Senior
Vincent Cramer

Vincent Cramer

Sophomore
Luciano Fasulo

Luciano Fasulo

Redshirt Sophomore
Kyle Knudtson

Kyle Knudtson

Sophomore
Keegan Mulhill

Keegan Mulhill

Senior
Noel Orozco

Noel Orozco

Senior
Raul Ruiz

Raul Ruiz

Sophomore
Jay Smith

Jay Smith

Sophomore
Chael Williams

Chael Williams

Sophomore
Monte Zufelt

Monte Zufelt

Junior

Players Mentioned

John Bittinger

John Bittinger

Senior
Vincent Cramer

Vincent Cramer

Sophomore
Luciano Fasulo

Luciano Fasulo

Redshirt Sophomore
Kyle Knudtson

Kyle Knudtson

Sophomore
Keegan Mulhill

Keegan Mulhill

Senior
Noel Orozco

Noel Orozco

Senior
Raul Ruiz

Raul Ruiz

Sophomore
Jay Smith

Jay Smith

Sophomore
Chael Williams

Chael Williams

Sophomore
Monte Zufelt

Monte Zufelt

Junior