The Penn State wrestling team is hoping to pin history this weekend.

Last season saw the Nittany Lions open their Big Ten schedule 2-0, only to lose five of their last six matches. Tonight at 7, they take on two-time defending national champion Minnesota Golden Gophers at Rec Hall. A win would put the Lions into the upper echelon of NCAA wrestling.

"I think this is the strongest team we have been able to put on the mat," Penn State wrestling coach Troy Sunderland said. "Looking on paper, 125, 141, 184 and heavyweight are must-wins for us."

Those are the matches Adam Smith, Scott Moore, Mark Becks and Pat Cummins will be wrestling in, respectively. The four Lions are off to a very strong start.

Moore, a junior (40-6) is just one pin away from tying the team's single-season record of 20.

He was recently named the Big Ten wrestler of the week for his wins against Indiana and Purdue last weekend.

Cummins, a junior, (24-3) and Becks (29-2), a senior, are both currently ranked No. 5 in the country. While Smith will have a tough match against Minnesota's Bobbe Lowe, he is coming off an upset of Indiana's No. 13 Joe Debuque.

Minnesota, currently No. 3 in the country, has six wrestlers individually ranked in the top 11.

Seniors Ryan Lewis and Luke Becker are No. 1 in their respective weight classes, 133 and 157.

Wrestling at 149 for the Gophers is Jared Lawrence. He will enter tonight's match ranked No. 2 with a 17-2 record.

No. 3 Jacob Volkmann will take on Lions All-American Doc Vecchio in the 165- pound class.

Volkmann is enters the match with an 18-3 record, Vecchio will hit the mat at 20-12.

Junior Damian Hahn (7-2) and senior Derek Phillips (1-0) are ranked eighth and 11th, respectively.

Hahn will take on senior Ryan Cummins in the 197-pound match while Phillips will grapple with junior Josh Moore in the 141-pound bout.

The match will also feature a 50th anniversary celebration of the 1953 National Champion Nittany Lions.

The first 150 fans will receive free commemorative T-shirts. There will also be a video program showing highlights of the season, marketing and promotions assistant Karl Mawhinney said.

Fans can also meet the team members tonight at the Nittany Lion Inn from 8:30 p.m. until midnight.

The Lions will also face the Wisconsin Badgers Sunday at 1 p.m. at Rec Hall. The Badgers will enter the match with a 9-1 record. They are led by 125-pound senior Tony Black and heavyweight Justin Staebler.