It was in an insignificant tournament and it was going down in November in a sport in which tournaments don't really make a difference until March.

But still, it was a big match.

Penn State wrestler Matt Storniolo was face to face with Lock Haven All-American and longtime Penn State nemesis Mike Maney in the 149-pound semifinals of the East Stroudsburg Open the weekend before Thanksgiving. Maney was ranked in the country's top five, a proven commodity, while Storniolo was just another redshirt freshman, high on talent but low on substance.

At first, it looked like Maney would have his way with Storniolo. He was clearly stronger and more experienced and before long he was in on a strong shot. But then, a funny thing happened. Maney's shot turned into a pitched scramble. It ended with Maney on his back and Storniolo on his way to an 8-4 victory and eventually the 149-pound title.

On that day in November a star was born. Storniolo finished the regular season with a 29-7 record and a No. 10 national ranking. Now he is on the cusp of his first postseason as a Nittany Lions member, with a large portion of Penn State's considerable ambitions resting on his shoulders.

Recently, Penn State's wrestling stars have taken a while to mature. Scott and Josh Moore, Pat Cummins, Mark Becks and others all had bumps in the road on the way to national prominence. Storniolo has bypassed those growing pains and in the process has become the program's brightest prospect since one Jamar Billman burst onto the scene in 1997-98.

"I don't want to pressure him," Penn State wrestling coach Troy Sunderland said. "I just want him to get the most out of himself. If he does that, he has a chance to beat anyone in the country."

Sunderland first saw Storniolo when he transferred to State College High School from the Haverford near Philadelphia following his junior year. In his one year at State College, Storniolo went 33-0 and won a PIAA championship. That's all the convincing Sunderland needed and he recruited Storniolo hard. There was some interest in Purdue, but with Storniolo's sister, Lauren already at Penn State the choice was easy.

Just how good Storniolo could be quickly came into focus. Storniolo was paired with Trent Paulson, the top 145-pound high school wrestler in the country, in the Dapper Dan classic, a spring time event that pairs Pennsylvania's champions against the country's best.

Storniolo, a decided underdog, won the match 6-4 and turned some heads.

"We knew he was good before that," Sunderland, who was in the stands that day, said. "But that really impressed us."

Now, after a redshirt season, Storniolo is continuing to impress Sunderland and the rest of the team.

"He just has uncanny mat sense," Sunderland said. "His balance and flexibility are outstanding. In a scramble, he's like a cat, he always lands on his feet."

His teammates agree.

"He's much better than I thought he would be. He's just a very tough kid, very unorthodox," Lion senior Marat Tomaev said. "He doesn't look intimidating or anything but he wins."

In practice, Storniolo isn't the stereotypical wrestler, totally focused, exuding over the top intensity. Instead he's a face in the crowd, going through the drills and practice drudgery without too much emotion, not trying to fire up his teammates.

"He's really not into the repetition drilling and things like that," Sunderland said. "But when the whistle blows he's ready to go."

That has been proven time and time again this season.

Tomorrow at Ohio State's St. John Arena, the whistle will blow at the Big Ten tournament and Storniolo's march to Big Ten and National titles will begin.

"I want to win Big Tens, I know I can," Storniolo said. "I'd be crushed if I wasn't an All-American [top eight at NCAAs]. I want nothing less than to be a four time All-American."

On Monday, Storniolo received the third seed for the 149-pound bracket at the Big Ten tournament. That means to meet his goal of a championship he will most likely have to beat Ty Eustice of Iowa and Ryan Churella of Michigan, both seeded higher and both among the minority that own victories over Storniolo.

But being an underdog, no matter how foreign a feeling, has never bothered Storniolo before, so don't expect it to now.