The Wilkes University wrestling team, currently ranked No. 15 nationally, will face one of its toughest opponents of the year when it hosts No. 4 Ithaca at 7 p.m. Friday in the Marts Center. It will be the eighth time this season the Colonels have gone up against a ranked opponent.

In those matches, Wilkes is 4-3, coming off a 20-18 win over then No. 7 TCNJ on Jan. 22. It has faced Cortland twice this season, which was ranked at the time of both matches. Wilkes and Ithaca have already faced each other once this season with the Bombers taking a 29-9 win in the semifinal round of the Budd Whitehill Duals. In that match, Ithaca won the first seven bouts before Wilkes bounced back to win the final three.

The Bombers lineup features five members that are ranked in the top-10 nationally in their respective weight classes, including Blaine Woszczak, who is currently ranked No. 1 at 149. Wilkes on the other hand sports two members ranked in the top-10 with Zach Pizarro (Easton, Pa./Easton) at No. 7 in the 197-pound weight class and Frank Heffernan (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) No. 9 at 174.

Wilkes is currently 21-5 on the year which includes a 6-2 mark when wrestling at home. Its two losses at home came against nationally-ranked Cortland and NCAA Division II foe Kutztown.

Ithaca is 18-1 with its only setback coming against Binghamton on Jan. 31. Since the loss, the Bombers downed Boston University 28-6 and Oneonta 42-3.

After the Ithaca match, the Colonels will have just one last home date when they host King's at 7 p.m. next Friday to celebrate senior night. It will be the final regular season match of the year before they compete in the Metro Championships on Feb. 21 in Ewing, N.J.