Slowly he stalks his prey. Like a cat ready to pounce, he looks for an opening. In a blink of an eye -- just one ill-fated step -- the attack comes and before the doomed can react, he's become another in a long line of victims.

One after another, they stand there helpless, looking like deer caught in a pair of headlights -- another victim of a Sanshiro Abe takedown.

Abe (pronounced AH-bay), an All-America 126-pounder currently ranked No. 2 in the country, has been as dominating as a tornado in a trailer park, rolling over opponents en route to a 17-1 record, and 14 consecutive wins.

The Toyko, Japan, native has been unstoppable since returning from a knee injury, which he suffered in the semifinals of the Mat-Town Tournament in late November. The knee injury slowed down his cat-like quickness, but his knee has improved and Abe has become more dominant.

"My knee is getting better," Abe said. "I feel more comfortable when I wrestle."

In his torrid month of January, Abe didn't give up a takedown. His streak ended when Lehigh's Marc Lombardy took him down last Sunday. But Abe is quick to point out, "I haven't wrestled anybody tough in the last three weeks."

Almost in the same breath, however, he names a succession of highly regarded wrestlers -- All-American Dave Nieradka from Oregon State, Mike Mena and Jeff McGuiness, a pair of four-time state champions from Iowa, and Michigan State's Demond Betts --who have fallen victim to Penn State's takedown machine in the past month.

"Sonny's been wrestling really well," Coach John Fritz said. "When he has good movement and goes on his offense there isn't anyone in the country he can't beat."

The one man Abe didn't beat is Oklahoma State's Nick Purler, who handed Abe his only loss in a Nov. 26 dual meet. Abe, though, will have to wait until the NCAA Tournament, and possibly the NCAA final, to avenge his only loss.

Abe's only other chance to wrestle Purler would have been at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic last week in Pittsburgh. Teammate Shawn Nelson was originally scheduled to compete, but a knee injury wouldn't allow it.

"I thought about it when Shawn Nelson got hurt," Abe said. "I thought I might get a chance to wrestle."

But Abe was passed over in favor of Cornell's David Hirsch.

Last season, his first in collegiate wrestling, Abe reached the national semifinals before falling to another Purler, Tony, who went on to become the NCAA champ. Even in his first year, Abe was a dominant wrestler on his feet, but it wasn't until this year that his mat wrestling has really shown improvement.

"He has been more physical, he's stronger this year," Fritz said. "That's a credit to our strength coaches and Troy (Sunderland) and Dave (Hart), who have really worked with him."

The work has paid off for Abe, considering he had only one pin last year, but has tallied five already this year.

"I'm trying to pin people," Abe said. "It's easier to finish the match than to have to wrestle the whole time."

Having Abe scoring the bonus points that come with the pins has helped the Lions, who have wrestled at full strength only once this year.

"It's a big help," said heavyweight Kerry McCoy. "We're going to need them, especially against teams that have good upper weights."

Winning the national title is Abe's ultimate goal, but Fritz warns that nationals are still a long way down the road.

"He has to take them one match at a time," Fritz said. "The nationals will take care of themselves."