DeKALB, Ill. – After a week of finals and another week of training and preparation, the Northern Illinois University wrestling team returns to action this weekend with a non-conference dual matchup on Saturday at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Huskies (2-3, 0-1 MAC) will face the Lopes (3-8), looking to even their dual record this season after dropping their Mid-American Conference opener to ranked Central Michigan the last time out. The dual will start at 2 p.m. CT at the GCU Arena.

The NIU wrestling team makes its first trip to the state of Arizona for an individual dual match in program history as head coach Ryan Ludwig’s team continues its diverse and challenging schedule against various teams and wrestling styles all over the nation to best prepare for the MAC and NCAA Championships at the end of the season.

“We got a workout in yesterday, and it’s a different venue and atmosphere so we have been working on adjusting to the time change and climate change here in Phoenix,” Coach Ludwig said, “but spirits are high and we’re feeling pretty good and we’re looking to put on a good show Saturday in this tough dual against Grand Canyon.”

The Huskies’ roster features two ranked wrestlers as junior 197-pounder Shawn Scott (Holly, Mich./Holly) and redshirt freshman 141-pounder Steve Bleise (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea) continue to earn national respect with individual rankings in the top 20 of their respective weight classes.

But depth will be the key to NIU succeeding in Saturday’s dual and upcoming matchups as well as the Huskies look for other grapplers to step up in the coming weeks before the MAC dual schedule leads into the all-important postseason slate in 2016.

The likes of Alijah Jeffery (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) at 125 pounds, Austin Eicher (Fenton, Mich./Hartland) at 133 pounds, Andrew Scott (Holly, Mich./Holly) at 157 pounds, Trace Engelkes (Winnebago, Ill./Winnebago) at 174 pounds, Quinton Rosser (Cincinnati, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller) at 184 pounds and Arthur Bunce (Munith, Mich./Dansville) at heavyweight will look to score for NIU.

Meanwhile, Gabe Morse (Alto, Mich./Lowell) and Shaun’Qae McMurtry (Lockport, Ill./Nebraska) will make their returns to the Huskie lineup at 149 and 165 pounds, respectively, to add quality depth to the team’s dual squad in NIU’s final dual contest of the 2015 calendar year.

--NIU--