The weather outside is frightful, but with their team carrying a four-match winning streak into the last weekend of the season, Binghamton wrestling fans certainly have reason to be delighted. Not only can the team safely say that they improved on last year’s 0-12 record, and considerably so, but they also garnered the attention of ESPN.com, which ran a feature on the team at the behest of Binghamton alum Billy Baldwin.

The Bearcats looked to extend their record streak last night against American University, but both teams faced an unwelcome opponent ‘ the area’s first major snowstorm. Due to the cancellation, head coach Pat Popolizio will have to wait until next season to face off against the school where he worked as the head assistant coach for the last two seasons.

Despite the matchup with American being snowed out, there won’t be much time for playing in the white stuff this weekend as the Bearcats have their work cut out today and Saturday when they will be playing their final two regular season matches. With a 9-9 overall record, the Bearcats will have to win both matchups if they want to finish above .500.

The first test will come against Franklin & Marshall this Friday in Lancaster, Pa., where the Diplomats have posted a 7-6 record. F&M wrestles in a different conference than the Bearcats, one that has given them fits; the Diplomats are 6-1 in non-conference matches but only 1-5 within the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. Sophomore Nico Somers, who won two matches at the heavyweight level this past weekend and rests on the laurels of his 17-3 record, is just one of the talented wrestlers the Bearcats will have to grapple with in their quest for victory No. 10.

The Bearcats will return to the familiar mats in the West Gym on Saturday, where they will host the Buffalo Bisons at 7 p.m. The SUNY matchup will allow for some Binghamton revenge that has been a long time coming. The last 12 times that these two teams faced off, the Bisons have come out on top, dating all the way back to the 1981-82 wrestling season. The Bearcats will have a solid opportunity to put an abrupt end to that streak, as Buffalo has lost its last five meets. The player to watch for the Bisons is senior captain Mark Budd, who will look to claim his 100th career win.

As has been the case all season, the Bearcats will rely on their strength in the middleweight classes to be successful. Junior Kyle Fried (20-12), sophomore Nate Patterson (16-11) and freshman Josh Patterson (24-7) have all stepped up over the course of the year to re-establish Binghamton as a formidable wrestling program. After the team finishes up the weekend, it will begin training for the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, which will take place the first weekend in March in Fairfax, Va.