MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University wrestling team closes its 2018-19 home slate on Friday, Feb. 1, as the Mountaineers take on nonconference foe Army in an 8 p.m. ET dual at the WVU Coliseum, in Morgantown.
 
"Army is always tough," said first-year coach Tim Flynn. "All those military schools are. Those kids are disciplined, they are tough kids. I think this particular team has four or five ranked kids. I didn't really know that until I got the lineup this week, so it's going to be a tall task."
 
Friday's match will be streamed live for free on WVUsports.com/Watch and the WVU Gameday App. Fans also can watch the stream live via Roku and Apple TV by searching for the "West Virginia Mountaineers" channel. Tony Onorato and Michael Minnich will have the call.
 
Additionally, the match will be broadcasted live on FloWrestling.com. Live stats will be available for the match through TrackWrestling.com. Direct links to the video stream and live stats can be found on the wrestling schedule page on WVUsports.com.
 
Friday is Senior Night, and WVU will celebrate the careers of Joe Wheeling and Christian Monserrat before the first bout begins. Wheeling and Monserrat have been part of the WVU wrestling program for five seasons, with both wrestlers experiencing a significant amount of time in the starting lineup throughout their careers.
 
It's also Mountaineer Kids Club Day, and fans will have an opportunity to receive the Mountaineers' autographs one last time following the match.
 
Fans can purchase tickets by visiting WVUGAME.com, calling 1-800-WVU GAME or at the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located at the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. All tickets are general admission.
 
Friday's match marks the third meeting between the Mountaineers (4-12, 3-5 Big 12) and Black Knights (5-2, 5-0 EIWA), though the two squads have not faced each other head-to-head since 1993. The all-time series is knotted at one win apiece, as West Virginia picked up an 18-8 victory over Army in its first-ever meeting in 1932.
 
WVU won two-of-three matches on the road last week, picking up a pair of wins in Orem, Utah, on Jan. 25. West Virginia captured a 21-16 victory over CSU Bakersfield, followed by a 26-13 win over Big 12 foe Utah Valley. Monserrat (149), sophomore Nick Kiussis (165) and redshirt freshmen Joey Thomas (125) and Noah Adams (197) each posted a 2-0 record on the evening.
 
The two-match win streak was snapped on Jan. 27, as WVU dropped a 33-15 match to No. 11 Wyoming at the UniWyo Sports Complex, in Laramie, Wyoming. Adams earned a pin at 197 pounds, while Monserrat claimed an 8-4 decision at 149 to cap the dual.
 
"I've seen a lot of progress," Flynn said. "With the season going the way it has, obviously, getting two wins on one road trip was huge for us. I think we are really improving, and a couple individuals got some big wins."
 
Army, who is receiving votes in this week's USA Today/NWCA Coaches' Top-25 Poll, is currently on a three-match win streak. The Black Knights most recently claimed a 28-10 conference win over Penn on Jan. 20, at the Palestra in Philadelphia.
 
Individually, the Black Knights have seven wrestlers ranked inside the top 33 of the first coaches' panel rankings released on Jan. 24. 197-pounder Rocco Caywood is the squad's highest-ranked Black Knight at No. 4, followed by 174-pounder Ben Harvey at No. 19. Harvey leads the team with 21 wins, followed by Caywood with 20. Of note, both grapplers have a total of six dual wins on the year.
 
The most anticipated match of the weekend will be Adams and Caywood at 197 pounds. Adams ranks inside FloWrestling's Top-20 Poll for the first time in his career, sitting at No. 19 in his respective weight class.
 
"I think Noah just has to wrestle," Flynn said. "I think he is really good. I probably think he is better than he thinks he is. He has beaten some good kids, and I know he can beat this guy. He just has to go out, compete hard and do his best."
 
A Coal City, West Virginia, native, Adams was named WVU's Student-Athlete of the Week on Jan. 28 for his efforts put forth on the road last week, most notably winning by fall over a top-20 opponent in Wyoming's Cale Davidson on Jan. 27. Adams averaged six points per match last week, while scoring a total of five takedowns and three reversals in his three matches. Caywood, who is ranked at No. 4 by a trio of media outlets, marks Adams' highest-ranked opponent of the season. Adams is now 13-10 on the season and has two victories over ranked foes. He also is 4-4 in Big 12 action.
 
Looking ahead, the regular season will come to a close on Sunday, Feb. 24, in Brookings, South Dakota, where the Mountaineers and Jackrabbits square off in a 7 p.m. ET match. South Dakota State, who finished 12th at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, holds a 3-0 lead in the all-time series.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUWrestling on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.