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    Purdue Announces 2014-15 Schedule

    Sept. 10, 2014

    2014-15 SCHEDULE

     

    WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Eight home duals highlight an 18-dual slate for Purdue wrestling in 2014-15. In addition to duals against familiar foes from the Big Ten Conference, the nation's toughest wrestling conference, the Boilermakers' non-conference schedule features valuable competition from across the country for first-year head coach Tony Ersland's squad.

     

    "I think overall the schedule does set up nicely for us," Ersland said. "It's always nice to see people from other areas of the country because the wrestling varies, so I think it's good to get out of the Midwest and go see some different people. I think we'll see a lot of good individuals to help us see where we are at early on.

     

    "The amount of home duals is huge for us," Ersland continued. "We have a couple early so we can get people in the doors to see what the team is going to look like, what they are going to be, and hopefully that will capture their interest and they'll come back in February, when we have some really great competition. That's when they'll have an extended period of time to watch their team, which is what you want to build your home fan base."

     

    Purdue opens its season Nov. 14 at Cal Poly. The trip to San Luis Obispo, Calif., will be the first for the Boilermakers since 2006 and a return for assistant coach Tyrel Todd, who served as an assistant coach for the Mustangs during the 2010-11 season. Purdue will make the most of its time in California by competing in Cal State Bakersfield's Road Runner Open two days later in Fresno.

    Ersland's squad will make its home debut with a pair of duals against Northern Iowa and Indiana Tech on Nov. 23. After a one-year hiatus, Purdue returns to the Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Duals Nov. 29 in Troy, N.Y. The 16-team event features three duals, with the Old Gold and Black set to square off against Missouri, Binghamton and Old Dominion.

     

    "It does look like, from a training stand point, we get tested a little bit at the [Journeymen/ASICS] Northeast Duals," Ersland said. "Obviously Missouri is pretty tough and Old Dominion has some good individuals as well. Our early schedule gives sets us up to be able to have a really good evaluation of where we are at heading into Midlands, where we are really going to be tested and then heading into the Big Ten schedule."

     

    Three duals and a classic winter tournament are on the docket in December. Purdue hosts SIU-Edwardsville Dec. 6 before traveling to Chattanooga, Tenn., for duals against North Carolina and the Mocs on Dec. 12. Although it's the sixth meeting all-time between Chattanooga and the Boilermakers, it will be the first time they've traveled to the Mocs home mat. The 52nd Annual Ken Craft Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., close out the first half of the season Dec. 29-30.

     

    The nation's premier wrestling conference will be on full display as the focus shifts to the rigorous Big Ten schedule. Five of Purdue's six duals in January will be on the road, with Ersland and assistant coach Zach Tanelli making their return to Nebraska (Jan. 9) and Wisconsin (Jan. 11), respectively. The Boilermakers follow with a battle against Northwestern in Holloway Gymnasium on Jan. 16 and two days later they'll be in University Park, Pa., to dual four-time NCAA team champ Penn State Jan. 18. The final two-dual weekend has Purdue making its first of two trips to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Buckeyes on Jan. 30 and return home for a Feb. 1 clash against Illinois.

     

    "We're hit heavy in January, so we really need to have a really good training cycle coming off of Midlands; we'll have to have a good couple of weeks of training there because we won't train as much in January, but I do like where that leads us in February," Ersland said. "There we are down to one dual meet a week and we are at home the entire month. That gives us a good opportunity to train and peak as we get ready to go into Big Tens."

     

    The three remaining duals will all be at home as the Boilermakers host Michigan (Feb. 8), Michigan State (Feb. 15) and close out the dual season against in-state rival Indiana in a Friday night showdown on Feb. 20.

     

    A 15-day break awaits Purdue's grapplers before embarking upon what could be considered the toughest tournament in the nation, the Big Ten Championships.

     

    "That stretch is huge because that's where you're looking to make another jump as a team, that's where you're peaking," Ersland explained. "You're really looking hard at your training cycles there and what you need to do because it might be that you need rest and recovery with the guys, let them get fresh and then come back and train hard. I think it's very important that you get out of February with your guys still hungry to compete, still hungry to train, because everyone knows that you make your living in March at Big Tens and NCAAs. This allows us to do that."

    Familiarity will be a key factor as the postseason gets underway March 7-8. Just one month after traveling to Columbus for the Ohio State dual, Ersland's Boilermakers will return for the Big Ten Championships.

     

    "Big Tens in Columbus will be nice because it's a close trip for us," Ersland said. "The guys should be comfortable since we have a dual there earlier in the season. They will know what to expand and how to handle things."

     

    Success at Big Tens punches a ticket to the NCAA Championships in a location all-too familiar and welcoming for wrestling, the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. The three-day tournament, held March 19-21, returns to St. Louis for the seventh time since 2000. It's a place where Ersland, Tanelli and Todd have found success on the biggest stage.

     

    "NCAAs in St. Louis is always attractive," Ersland said. "We've been there a number of times so I think everyone is familiar with the layout, the setup and what it's going to be. From a familiarity standpoint, it should be good for us, there should be no confusion where you're going to cut weight or where the hotels are, things like that that you want your athletes to know and feel good about."

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