2008-09 Hofstra University Wrestling Roster
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• The Pride has won 20 of its last 28 home matches dating back to the start of the 2003-04 season. HOFSTRA’S TENTATIVE STARTERS: Wt. Name Cl. 07-08 08-09 I W 125 Steve Bonanno Fr, ----- 4-3 * * 133 Lou Ruggirello*+ Jr.. 38-7 5-0 7 8 141 Justin Accordino RFr. 13-8 4-2 * * 149 P.J. Gillespie RFr. 0-2 4-3 * * 157 Jonny Bonilla- Jr. 19-14 3-1 15 9 Bowman* 165 Ryan Patrovich* So. 19-14 4-1 * * 2008-09 HOFSTRA 174 Alton Lucas* Sr. 29-7 4-0 6 5 184 Ben Clymer Fr. ----- 1-0 * * UNIVERSITY WRESTLING 197 Joe Fagiano So. 23-16 4-0 285 Jordan Enck Fr. ----- 4-3 * * HOFSTRA PRIDE (1-0) * - Returning starter: + - returning conference champion; AA- at All-American; Rankings from: I- USA Today/NWCA/Intermat; PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (0-0) W-WIN Magazine. PSU Rec Hall – University Park, PA THE YOUNG PRIDE: After losing All-American Charles Sunday, November 16, 2008 – 1 p.m. Griffin and past conference champions Dave Tomasette, at 125, and Joe Rovelli, at 197, to graduation the Pride enter their 61st 2008-09 HOFSTRA WRESTLING SCHEDULE season of competition with 19 freshmen and sophomores on their Date Opp Rank,Opponent,HU Rank) Time/Res. roster of 25. One of those sophomores, Indiana-transfer Joe Nov. 8 Brockport/Oklahoma Gold 5th pl. Fagiano, placed sixth in the Big 10 and competed in the NCAA Nov. 12 WAGNER 53-0 W Championships last season. Nov. 16 at #7 Penn State 1 p.m. Nov. 22 at Missouri 1 p.m. HOFSTRA THIS SEASON: The Pride of Hofstra opened their Nov. 23 at Missouri Open All Day 2008-09 season last weekend at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, placing fifth in the eight-team field. Junior Lous Dec. 12 BINGHAMTON 7 p.m. Ruggirello, who recorded pins in all four of his 133-pound Dec. 29-30 at The Southern Scuffle matches, and senior Alton Lucas, who was 3-0 in his 174-pound (Greensboro, NC) matches, captured titles, captured titles. The Pride had their first dual match of the season this past Wednesday night at home Jan. 11 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 1 p.m. against metropolitan-rival Wagner and cruised to a 53-0 victory with five pins. Jan. 16-17 at Colonial Athletic Association Duals (George Mason Univ., Fairfax, VA) HOFSTRA HAS FOUR WRESTLERS RANKED THIS WEEK: Hofstra has four wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their Jan. 25 OHIO STATE 1 p.m. respective weight classes in the latest Intermat/NWCA/NWMA Jan. 31 at Pennsylvania 1 p.m. Division I Individual Rankings, as of November 11. Senior Alton at Drexel 4 p.m. Lucas, who captured the 174-pound title at the Brockpor/ Oklahoma Gold Classic last Saturday, is ranked sixth in the Feb. 8 CORNELL 5 p.m. Intermat Poll and fifth by W.I.N. Magazine. Junior Lou Feb. 14 at Edinboro 7 p.m. Ruggirello, who captured the 133-pound title at Brockport, is Feb. 15 at Buffalo 1 p.m. ranked seventh by Intermat and eighth by W.I.N. Junior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman is ranked ninth in the W.I.N. preseason poll and Feb. 20 at Harvard 7 p.m. th Mar. 6-7 at CAA CHAMPIONSHIPS 15 by Intermat at 157 pounds after placing sixth at Brockport. (Norfolk, VA) Finally, Indiana University sophomore transfer Joe Fagiano, who will make his Hofstra debut this weekend at #7 Penn State, is Mar. 19-21 at NCAA Division I Championships th th (at The Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO) ranked 17 by Intermat and 16 by W.I.N. at 197 pounds. * - CAA match – All times are ET - Home matches, in bold, are at the David S. Mack Sports Complex RUGGIRELLO IS 5-FOR-5 IN PINS: Junior Lou Ruggirello posted his fifth pin of the season Wednesday night in as many outings as the Pride downed Wagner, 53-0. Ruggirello, who HOFSTRA NOTES, STREAKS AND TIDBITS: • Hofstra has won 56 of its last 83 and 64 of its last 93 dual captured the Gorrarian Award at the NCAA Championships last matches dating back to 2003. Included are three ties. The Pride is March, and the equivalent honor at the Brockpost Oklahoma 32-12-2 in dual matches since the start of the 2006-07 season. Gold Classic last week, recorded 15 pins last season during his 38-7 year. • Hofstra is undefeated in 60 consecutive dual conference matches posting a 59-0-1 record during that time. The last time FAGIANO TO MAKE HIS HOFSTRA DEBUT AT PENN Hofstra dropped a conference match was February 17, 1999 when STATE: Sophomore Joe Fagiano, who came to Hofstra from the Broncs of Rider beat the Pride, 28-10, in an East Coast Indiana University in August, will make his Hofstra debut at Wrestling Association (ECWA) match. The Pride has won 57 Penn State on Sunday. Fagiano placed sixth in the Big 10 straight conference matches. Championships last year and qualified for the NCAA Championships. He was 23-16 with Hoosiers last year. 10th head wrestling coach in Hofstra’s storied wrestling history HOFSTRA-PENN STATE SERIES: Sunday’s match against on May 17, 2006. His first season as the Hofstra Head Wrestling Penn State is the seventh meeting between the Pride and the Coach in 2006-07 was one for the record books. Shifflet directed Nittany Lions since 1996. Penn State leads the series, 5-1. The the Pride to an 18-4-2 dual record, a final record season ranking two teams last met on November 17, 2007 at the David S. Mack of ninth, the program’s sixth straight Colonial Athletic Sports Complex with the Nittany Lions posting a 28-11 victory Association championship and the school’s seventh consecutive over the Pride. Hofstra’s win over Penn State came on December conference title, an upset victory of top-ranked Minnesota in 10, 2006 on Long Island, 24-10. November, a sixth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals and, most importantly, a seventh-place finish at the 2007 NCAA HOFSTRA-PENN STATE LAST YEAR - NOVEMBER 17 Championships in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Along the way, the AT #10 PENN STATE: Despite a 15-0 tech fall victory by Pride developed four All-Americans, seven conference sophomore Lou Ruggirello at 133 pounds, the #12 Hofstra Pride champions including the CAA Wrestler of the Year and the wrestling team dropped a 28-11 decision to #10 Penn State before Rookie of the Year. For Shifflet’s efforts, he was named the 1,965 fans at the Rec Hall in University Park, PA. The Pride Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year. captured just three of the 10 matches. Last season Shifflet directed the program to its 11th consecutive Beginning the match at 197 pounds, Penn State’s second-ranked winning season with a 13-8 overall record and a 6-0 conference senior Phil Davis (2-0) avenged a loss to Hofstra’s Chris while leading Hofstra to its seventh straight CAA wrestling Weidman last season by posting a 12-1 major decision over sixth- championship and eighth consecutive conference title. Along the ranked Pride senior Joe Rovelli (1-1) for a 4-0 lead in the contest. way the Pride faced 13 Top 25 opponents and posted victories Sophomore Stefan Tighe (2-0) pinned Hofstra junior James over #4 Iowa State, #13 Edinboro and #22 Old Dominion. Guerin (0-2) in 5:19 of the heavyweight match to boost the lead Hofstra placed third at the Southern Scuffle, 10th in the Cliff to 10-0. In a battle of top 10-ranked wrestlers at 125 pounds, Keen-Las Vegas Invitational, first in the CAA Championships 10th-ranked Penn State senior Mark McKnight (2-0) tallied all with three conference champions and seven national qualifiers, three of his points in the second period and held on to defeat and 15th in the NCAA Championships with two All-Americans Hofstra’s seventh-ranked senior Dave Tomasette (1-1), 3-2, as and the Gorrarian Award winner. the Nittany Lions took a 13-0 lead. Shifflet came to Hofstra after four seasons as head wrestling The Pride got on the board at 133 as fourth-ranked sophomore coach at UNC Greensboro. While at UNCG, he created and Lou Ruggirello (2-0) notched a 15-0 tech fall victory over Penn organized the annual 35-team Southern Scuffle wrestling State freshman Mike Eagen (0-2). Ruggirello jumped out to a 10- tournament, which is one of the largest and more competitive 0 lead after one period before posting the victory at 4:04 of the Division I regular season tournaments in the country. During his match. In another top 10-match-up at 141 pounds, Hofstra’s tenure at UNC Greensboro Shifflet recorded a 32-32 dual meet second-ranked senior Charles Griffin (1-1) dropped a 6-1 record and had nine wrestlers qualify for the NCAA decision to seventh-ranked Nittany Lion junior Jake Strayer (2- Championships. 0). Strayer’s win gave Penn State a 16-5 lead at the intermission. A three-time All-American and a four-time national qualifier as a Bubba Jenkins, the Nittany Lions’ seventh-ranked sophomore, student-athlete at national powerhouse Edinboro University from improved to 2-0 on the season with a 5-2 victory over Hofstra 1992 through 1995, Shifflet began his coaching career as an sophomore Mitch Smith (0-2) at 149 pounds. Sophomore Dan assistant at Georgia State University in1995, helping the Panthers Vallimont (2-0), ranked 12th at 157 pounds, decisioned Pride post back-to-back winning seasons, and develop three conference sophomore Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, 6-3, as Penn State opened up champions and four NCAA qualifiers.