Matmen Shuffle Squad Lineup For Tough Match at UMass

When Harvard's varsity wrestling team enters its important match against the University of Massachusetts tonight in Amherst, coach John Lee will be using a rearranged lineup designed to give his squad every possible advantage.

The shuffling involves moving captain Pat Coleman down a weight class to 142 pounds and inserting two-year letterman Mike Slutzker at 150 pounds. Also, unbeaten Mark Faller will drop to 158 pounds and Tony Rayner, another two-year letterman, will step in at 167 pounds. This will be the first match of the season for Slutzker and Rayner.

Strength

"This should give us a stronger squad than we had over the weekend in the quadrangular," Lee said yesterday. The Crimson will need everything in their favor tonight against the Redmen, who are 3-0 this season, have excellent personnel and will be using some highly recruited and talented freshmen. Harvard is prohibited from using any freshmen in varsity competition by an Ivy League rule.

"We respect U. Mass. as the toughest team we'll face on our December and January schedule. Both of us are now strong enough to try and challenge Springfield as the top team in New England. This is a big meet, we've built this up as best we can and I think our guys are really psyched for it," Lee said.

As of last night, all four of the wrestlers involved in the changes were within two pounds of their specified weigh-in weights for tonight. Each has jumped or dropped a weight class for competition within the last year and don't expect any major trouble due to the shuffling. "However, you're always a little worried about a move like this," Lee confessed.