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Hofstra Pride Place Fifth at the CAAs as Three Qualify for the NCAA Championships

Hempstead, NY - Three Hofstra wrestlers qualified for the 2010 NCAA Championships in Omaha, Nebraska on March 18-20 as the Pride finished fifth at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships at Rider University's Alumni Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

The Pride, who saw their streak of consecutive conference championships end at nine including eight in the CAA, will be sending senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, and sophomores P.J. Gillespie and Ben Clymer to the NCAA Championships in 12 days.

Hofstra, which finished in fifth place with 41 points, trailed CAA champion Binghamton (87.5), Old Dominion (73), Rider (58.5) and Drexel (46.5) in the standings while George Mason (29.5), Boston U. (28), Sacred Heart (21.5) followed the Pride.

Saturday, three Pride wrestlers were in the championship matches with four others in the consolation bracket. At 133 pounds, freshman Luke Vaith gave top-seed Steve Mytych from Drexel all he could handle for three periods. But after a 1-1 tie through seven minutes, Mytych copped the CAA title on the riding time point. With the CAA granted one automatic bid to the NCAA Championships at 133 pounds, Vaith (16-18) will have to wait to see if he has earned at at-large bid to Omaha. At 165 pounds where the CAA had two automatic bids, Gillespie (31-13) battled top-seeded Chris Brown from Old Dominion before dropping a 2-1 decision in the second tiebreaker. The Long Beach native then downed Rider's Rob Morrison in the "true second place" match, 9-5 to earn his second NCAA Championship bid. At 184 where the CAA had two bids to the NCAA Championships, Clymer fell to Binghamton's Nate Schiedel, 4-3, in the title match. Clymer (24-7) will make his first NCAA Championship appearance.

At 157 pounds where three NCAA bids were on the line in the CAA, senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (18-6), who dropped a 12-9 decision to Drexel's Joe Booth Friday night, earned his way into the NCAA Championships by defeating Rider's Zac Cibula, 8-4 in the consolation semifinals, and Sacred Heart's Anthony Priore in the third-place match to get his fourth bid to the NCAA Championship.

Three other Pride wrestlers ended their seasons in the consolation bracket Saturday. At 125 pounds, freshman Jamie Franco ended his season with a 6-5 loss to Sacred Heart's Patrick Feeley in the consolation semifinals. Franco wraps up his season with a 6-16 mark. At 141 pounds, red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks (10-20) dropped a 3-1 decision to Rider's Matt Bradley in the consolation semifinals. At 285 pounds, red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (11-16) dropped a 5-2 decision to Binghamton's Corey Waite in the consolation semifinals to end his season.

The CAA received 18 automatic bids to the NCAA Championships as part of 284 automatic bids the NCAA granted to 11 conferences and regionals. Forty-six at-large bids will be determined in the coming days.

Hofstra's three NCAA qualifiers in 2010 mark the 14th consecutive year that three or more Pride wrestlers have qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Hofstra's Bonilla-Bowman Named CAA Wrestler of the Week

Lawrenceville, NJ - Hofstra University senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman has been named the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestler of the Week for all competition from February 15-21.

Bonilla-Bowman, a 157-pounder, won a pair of CAA major decisions last week against Rider and Drexel. The Pomona, New York native, who has now won 10 of his last 11 matches, defeated Rider's Zac Cibula, 24-11 on Wednesday, and Drexel's Joe Booth, 21-11 on Saturday. He is ranked second in the CAA and 17th in the nation, Bonilla-Bowman improved to 16-4 overall and 6-1 in the CAA.

Bonilla-Bowman shares the CAA Wrestler of the Week award with Steve Mytych of Drexel University. Mytych, a senior 133 pounder from Wyoming, PA (Northampton), defeated the 20th ranked wrestler in the nation from Rutgers and won a major decision over the fourth ranked wrestler in the CAA from Hofstra. Currently ranked first in the CAA and 14th in the nation, Mytych improved to 30-6 overall, 7-0 in CAA duals.

The CAA also announced that Nestor Taffur of Boston University and Jim Resnick of Rider University are the CAA Rookies of the Week. Resnick, a freshman 174 pounder from Media, Pennsylvania (Penncrest), won all four of his matches last week, including three CAA decisions and two pins, to improve to 5-2 in CAA duals. Resnick is ranked fourth in the CAA and now has 16 collegiate victories.

Taffur, a freshman 149 pounder from Bound Brook, New Jersey (Bound Brook), defeated the top ranked 149 in the CAA from Rider in a 2-0 week. Ranked fifth in the CAA, Taffur improved to 4-2 in CAA duals with 16 wins on the season.

The CAA Championships are March 5-6 at Rider University.
Hofstra 21, Drexel 17

Hempstead, NY - Tyler Banks, Jonny Bonilla-Bowman and P.J. Gillespie posted major decision victories and the Pride received a final match forfeit win as Hofstra defeated Drexel, 21-17, in a CAA match at the Hofstra Physical Fitness Center Saturday afternoon.

The Dragons of Drexel jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two matches as junior Michael Gomez (3-3) defeated Pride freshman Jamie Franco (5-14), 2-1, on a third period takedown at 125 pounds, and 15th-ranked senior Steve Mytych (30-6) posted a 10-2 major decision over freshman Luke Vaith (15-17) at 133 pounds. Hofstra got on the board at 141 pounds when red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks (10-17) rolled to a 13-0 major decision over Dragon freshman Josh Yurasits (2-8). Drexel boosted the lead to 10-4 at 149 when senior Brett McCurdy (10-12) downed Pride junior Jeff Rotella (3-19).

But the Pride rallied with major decisions in the next two matches to take a 12-10 lead in the contest. Senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (16-4), ranked 19th in the country, jumped out to a 9-5 lead after one period and rolled to a 21-11 major decision over Joe Booth (19-6) at 157 pounds. It was Bonilla-Bowman's fourth straight win and the ninth in his last 10 matches. Pride sophomore P.J. Gillespie (28-12) gave Hofstra a 12-10 advantage with a 14-6 major win over sophomore Alex Rinaldi (8-20) at 165 pounds.

Drexel regained the lead at 174 pounds as junior Dave Woodall edged Pride senior Jon Rothman (2-17), 6-5 at 174 pounds, on the riding time point after Rothman pulled off a late escape to tie the match. But Hofstra sophomore Ben Clymer (23-6) gave the Pride the lead right back, recording a second period escape for a 1-0 victory over junior Justin Weiller (12-15). Clymer has won 12 of his last 14 matches.

At 197 pounds, Drexel sophomore Shawn Fausey (3-6) recorded a 10-0 major decision over Pride red-shirt freshman Patrick Murphy (1-5), who was filling in for senior starter Anthony Tortora, who was injured at Rider last Wednesday, giving the Dragons a 17-15 advantage heading into the match finale. A battle between Drexel junior Kyle Frey (27-8), ranked second in the CAA, and Hofstra red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (10-14), ranked fourth in the CAA, was expected at 285 pounds, But Frey, who suffered a hand injury in a recent match, forfeited the match giving Hofstra the 21-17 victory.

The Pride, who snapped a seven-match losing streak, ended their dual match schedule with a 6-12-2 mark and a 4-3 mark in the CAA. Drexel ended its regular season with a 9-12-0 mark and a 3-4 record in the CAA. Both teams will now prepare for the 2010 CAA Championships at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey on March 5-6.

Hofstra 21, Drexel 17
125- Mike Gomez (DU) dec. Jamie Franco (HU), 2-1
133- Steve Mytych (DU) maj. dec. Luke Vaith (HU), 10-2
141- Tyler Banks (HU) maj. dec. Josh Yurasits (DU), 13-0
149- Brett McCurdy (DU) dec. Jeff Rotella (HU), 10-3
157- Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU) maj. dec. Joe Booth (DU), 21-11
165- P.J. Gillespie (HU) maj. dec. Alex Rinaldi (DU), 14-6
174- Dave Woodall (DU) dec. Jon Rothman (HU), 6-5
184- Ben Clymer (HU) dec. Justin Weiller (DU), 1-0
197- Shawn Fausey (DU) maj. dec. Patrick Murphy (HU), 10-0
285- Paul Snyder (HU) win by forfeit
Rider 21 , Hofstra 16

Lawrenceville, NJ - The Pride won five matches but Rider captured the final two matches of the night to post a 21-16 CAA victory over Hofstra at Alumni Gymnasium Wednesday night. Rider improved to 12-6 on the season and 4-1 in the CAA while Hofstra fell to 5-12-2 overall and 3-3 in conference action.

Senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman recorded a major decision, sophomores P.J. Gillespie and Ben Clymer, and freshmen Jamie Franco and Luke Vaith tallied decisions for the Pride.

Starting at 125 pounds, Pride freshman Jamie Franco (5-13) posted an escape and a takedown in the second period and fought off a takedown attempt in the waning seconds of the match to post a 5-2 victory over Rider's fourth-ranked Ilyass Elmsaouri. The 133-pound match featured Rider's Jimmy Kirchner, ranked second in the CAA and Hofstra freshman Luke Vaith (15-16), ranked fourth in the league. Vaith, the newcomer from Minnesota, took it to Kirchner, jumping out to a 4-2 lead after one period and added four points in the third on the way to an 8-2 victory.

In a fiercely contested match at 141 pounds, Rider's Matt Bradley posted a late escape and amassed 1:39 in riding time to post a 5-3 victory over Hofstra freshman Tyler Banks (9-17). At 149 pounds, Rider's Mike Kessler, ranked number one in the CAA, jumped out to a 7-1 lead after one period and rolled to a 19-5 major decision over Pride junior Jeff Rotella (3-18) to give the Broncs their first lead of the match at 7-6.

At 157 pounds, Hofstra senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, ranked second in the CAA, got some of the points back with a 24-11 major decision over Zac Cibula to put the Pride back ahead, 10-7. Bonilla-Bowman won for the ninth time in his last 10 matches to improve to 15-4. In a battle between the number two and three ranked wrestlers in the CAA at 165 pounds, Hofstra sophomore P.J. Gillespie took a 5-4 lead into the third period over Rider's Rob Morrison. Morrison escaped to tie the match but Gillespie posted 1:16 in riding time to post the 6-5 victory. Gillespie improved to 27-12 and boosted the Pride lead in the match to 13-7.

At 174 pounds, Rider's Jim Resnick, ranked fourth in the CAA, cruised to a 16-1 tech fall in 4:39 over Hofstra senior Jon Rothman (2-16) to bring the Broncs within one at 13-12. At 184 pounds, Hofstra sophomore Ben Clymer, ranked second in the CAA, gave the Pride a 16-12 advantage with a 7-2 win over Mike Ward, ranked fifth in the CAA. Clymer improved to a career best 22-6 on the season.

Rider's Tyler Smith, ranked first in the CAA at 197 pounds, gave the Broncs an 18-16 lead in the match after a takedown at the 2:43 mark of the match injured Pride senior Anthony Tortora (8-18). In the final match of the night, Rider's Ed Bordas, ranked number one in the CAA at 285 pounds, posted an escape in the third period and added a takedown with 17 seconds remaining for a 3-0 victory over Pride red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (9-14). The Broncs snapped a 10-match losing streak to the Pride, dating back exactly 11 years.

The Pride close out the regular season this Saturday, February 20 when they host Drexel University at the Hofstra Physical Fitness Center at 1 p.m. Hofstra will honor its three graduating seniors, Bonilla-Bowman, Jon Rothman and Anthony Tortora in pre-match ceremonies.

Rider 21 , Hofstra 16
125- Jamie Franco (HU) dec. Ilyass Elmsaouri (RU), 5-2
133- Luke Vaith (HU) dec. Jimmy Kirchner (RU), 8-2
141- Matt Bradley (RU) dec. Tyler Banks (HU), 5-3
149- Jimmy Kirchner (RU) tech fall Jeff Rotella (HU), 20-5
157- Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU) maj. Dec. Zac Cibula (RU), 24-11
165- P.J. Gillespie (HU) dec. Rob Morrison (RU), 6-5
174-Jim Resnick (RU) tech fall Jon Rothman (HU), 16-1
184- Ben Clymer (HU) dec. Mike Ward (RU), 7-2
197- Tyler Smith (RU) inj. def. Anthony Tortora (HU), 2:43
285- Ed Bordas (RU) dec. Paul Snyder (HU), 3-0
Hofstra Pride Fall at Binghamton and Cornell

Ithaca, NY - The Hofstra wrestling team went to frigid upstate New York Saturday and received a frosty greeting as their hosts Binghamton (28-8) and Cornell (37-6) cruised to easy victories over the Pride.

In the first match of the day at CAA-foe Binghamton (12-6-1), freshman Luke Vaith, sophomore P.J. Gillespie and senior Anthony Tortora recorded Hofstra decisions but the Bearcats captured the rest including a fall and two tech falls for a 28-8 victory. The Pride loss snapped a nine-match winning streak over Binghamton and was just the third conference loss that Hofstra has suffered in its last 71 league dual matches (67-3-1).

In the opening match featuring freshmen at 125 pounds, Binghamton's James Inghram (5-4) defeated Jamie Franco (4-11), 3-1. Pride freshman Luke Vaith (14-14) tied the match at 3-3 with a 9-8 decision over junior Tyler Malmberg (3-5). But the Bearcats won the next three matches to build a 14-3 advantage. At 141 pounds, junior Anwar Goeres (28-6), who is ranked first in the CAA, defeated junior Jeff Rotella (3-16), 5-2. At 149, Binghamton red-shirt freshman Donnie Vinson (27-10) recorded a 23-5 tech fall in 4:36 over Pride red-shirt freshman Ryan Colmer (0-3). At 157 pounds, Bearcat sophomore Justin Lister (21-6), ranked third in the CAA, upset Hofstra's 16th-ranked senior and the CAA's best in the weight class, Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (12-4), 10-8, snapping the Pride wrestler's six-match winning streak.

Hofstra sophomore P.J. Gillespie (26-10), ranked second in the CAA and 17th in the nation, edged sophomore Matt Kaylor (27-15), 6-4, in sudden victory to cut the deficit to 14-6. But the Bearcats picked up bonus point wins in their next two matches as senior Josh Patterson (18-5), ranked first in the CAA and 13th in the country at 174 pounds, posted a 17-0 tech fall in 4:29 over senior Jon Rothman (2-13) and red-shirt freshman Nate Schiedel (21-6), ranked fourth in the CAA at 184 pounds, recorded an upset pin of the CAA's top-seeded Ben Clymer (20-5) in 3:09 for a 25-6 lead in the contest. It was Clymer's first loss by fall in 58 college matches and his first dual match loss (14-1) of the year.

Pride senior Anthony Tortora (8-15) decisioned red-shirt freshman Patt Walsh (2-2) at 197 pounds, 3-1 before Binghamton senior Corey Waite (29-13), ranked third in the CAA at 285 pounds, defeated red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (9-11), who was making his first start since suffering a knee injury 17 days ago, 3-1. Hofstra fell to 5-9-2 overall and 3-2 in CAA matches.

At Cornell, the Pride (5-10-2) was dominated by the seventh-ranked Big Red (5-4-1). Only a Bonilla-Bowman win by injury default at 157 pounds prevented a Cornell shutout victory. The Big Red, which has six nationally-ranked wrestlers including two number one ranked wrestlers and a number two, posted two wins by fall, two by major decision, one tech fall and four decisions in the contest.

The most exciting match of the contest was at 165 pounds where Hofstra's 17th-ranked sophomore P.J. Gillespie squared off against unranked junior Justin Kerber. After a scoreless first period, each wrestler recorded escapes in the ensuing periods, Gillespie in the second and Kerber in the third, to send the match into sudden victory. Hofstra's Long Beach, New York native, who was wrestling in his second straight sudden victory match, wouldn't be as lucky in this one as Kerber recorded a takedown with 30 seconds remaining for the 3-1 decision.

The Pride will return to action on Wednesday, February 10 when they travel to Lawrenceville, New Jersey for a CAA match against Rider University. Match time is 7 p.m.

Binghamton 28, Hofstra 8
125: James Inghram (BU) dec. Jamie Franco (HU), 3-1
133: Luke Vaith (HU) dec. Tyler Malmberg (BU), 9-8
141: Anwar Goeres (BU) dec. Jeff Rotella (HU), 5-2
149: Donnie Vinson (BU) tech fall Ryan Colmer (HU), 23-5, 4:36
157: Justin Lister (BU) dec. #16 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU), 10-8
165: #17 P.J. Gillespie (HU) dec. Matt Kaylor (BU), 6-4 SV
174: #13 Josh Patterson (BU) tech fall Jon Rothman (HU), 17-0, 4:29
184: Nate Schiedel (BU) WBF Ben Clymer (HU), 3:09
197: Anthony Tortora (HU) dec. Pat Walsh (BU), 3-1
285: Corey Waite (BU) dec. Paul Snyder (HU), 3-1
Hofstra penalized one team point

#7 Cornell 37, Hofstra 6
125: #2 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) dec. Jamie Franco (Hofstra), 6-0
133: #11 Mike Grey (Cornell) maj. dec. Luke Vaith (Hofstra), 18-7
141: #1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) tech fall Tyler Banks (Hofstra), 15-0
149: Corey Manson (Cornell) maj. dec. Ryan Colmer (Hofstra), 14-5
157: #16 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (Hofstra) inj def. John Basting (Cornell), 1:39
165: Justin Kerber (Cornell) dec. #17 PJ Gillespie (Hofstra), 3-1 SV
174: #1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) WBF Jon Rothman (Hofstra), 1:01
184: #17 Steve Bosak (Cornell) dec. Ben Clymer (Hofstra), 4-1
197: #5 Cam Simaz (Cornell) WBF Anthony Tortora (Hofstra), 6:47
HWT: Josh Arnone (Cornell) dec. Paul Snyder (Hofstra), 6-0
Hofstra Ties Harvard, Falls to Brown

Hempstead, NY - Sophomores P.J. Gillespie and Ben Clymer and red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder each had two wins as Hofstra tied Harvard, 20-20, and fell to Brown, 18-17, in non-conference wrestling action at the Mack Sports Complex Saturday evening. Hofstra is now 2-5-2 on the season while Brown is 2-1 and Harvard is 2-3-1.

In the first match against Brown, the Bears jumped out to a 12-0 behind an opening forfeit at 125 pounds for Greg Einfrank, a 13-6 decision by Cortlandt Choate over junior Jeff Rotella at 133 and a 3-1 decision by Steve DeLorenzo over Pride freshman Luke Vaith at 141.

But red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks started a Hofstra run of three straight wins with a 6-0 victory over Phil Marano at 149 pounds to close the deficit to 12-3. The Pride's 19th-ranked 157-pounder Jonny Bonilla-Bowman recorded a 12-6 victory over Brian Tracy and sophomore P.J. Gillespie brought the Pride to within two at 12-10 with a 13-4 major decision over Gabriel Brotzman at 165 pounds. It was Gillespie's 20th victory of the season.

Brown's Jeff Lemmer gave the Bears some breathing room with a 10-4 decision over senior Jon Rothman at 174 pounds to boost the lead to five but Hofstra sophomore Ben Clymer won his third straight match and closed the deficit to two with a 2-0 win over Bran Crudden at 184 pounds. Brown senior Branden Stearns edged Pride senior Anthony Tortora, 3-2, at 197 pounds to give the Bears an 18-13 lead heading into the final match of the contest at 285 pounds. Hofstra red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder needed a tech fall over Larry Otsuka to tie or a pin to win the match. Snyder dominated but Otsuka held off the Pride aggressor as Hofstra had to settle for an 11-3 major decision that preserved the Brown victory.

In the nightcap against Harvard, the visitors from Massachusetts took the first two matches as Chadwick Eason took a forfeit win at 125 and freshman Stephen Keith notched a 12-2 major decision over the Pride's Jeff Rotella (1-10) at 133 pounds for a 10-0 lead. Luke Vaith and Tyler Banks brought the Pride back with wins as Vaith (7-9) edged Tony Buxton, 4-2, at 141, and Banks (8-10) won his second of the day with a 6-2 decision over freshman Nick Brazeau at 149 to close the deficit to 10-6.

In the featured match of the contest, Harvard's top-ranked J.P. O'Connor topped Hofstra's 19th-ranked senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (6-3), 6-1 at 157 pounds to bump the lead to 13-6. The Crimson added to the lead at 165 when Michael Sadler tagged Pride red-shirt freshman Ryan Colmer (0-2) with a 13-6 victory. Hofstra sophomore P.J. Gillespie (21-8), who moved up one weight class to 174 for the match, posted a 12-4 major decision over Bryan Panzano to bring the Pride to within six at 16-10.

But Harvard's 10th-ranked senior Louis Caputo's 9-1 major decision win over the Pride's Anthony Tortora (4-12) at 184 pounds doubled up the Pride at 20-10. With the Crimson forfeiting the 285-pound match, the contest came down to the 197-pound bout between Hofstra sophomore Ben Clymer, who went up one weight class, and Harvard's Sean Murphy. Clymer (15-4) jumped out to an 8-0 lead with riding time after two periods. But Murphy prevented the Pride's tech fall bid as Clymer had to settle for a 13-0 major decision. The Crimson forfeit allowed the Pride to tie the match at 20-20.

Hofstra returns to action next Saturday, January 16 when the Pride face Sacred Heart, George Mason, Boston University and Old Dominion at the CAA Duals in Fairfax, Virginia.

Brown 18, Hofstra 17
125 - Greg Einfrank (B) win by forfeit
133 - Cortlandt Choate (B) dec. Jeff Rotella (H), 13-6
141 - Steve DeLorenzo (B) dec. Luke Vaith (H), 3-1
149 - Tyler Banks (H) dec. Phil Marano (B), 6-0
157 - #19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (H) dec. Bryan Tracy (B), 12-6
165 - P.J. Gillespie (H) maj. dec. Gabriel Brotzman (B), 13-4
174 - Jeff Lemmer (B) dec. Jon Rothman (H), 10-4
184 - Ben Clymer (H) dec. Bran Crudden (B), 2-0
197 - Branden Stearns (B) dec. Anthony Tortora (H), 3-2
285 - Paul Snyder (H) maj. dec. Larry Otsuka (B), 11-3

Hofstra 20, Harvard 20
125 - Chadwick Eason (Harvard) win by forfeit
133 - Steven Keith (Harvard) maj. dec. Jeff Rotella (Hofstra),12-2
141 - Luke Vaith (Hofstra) dec. Tony Buxton (Harvard), 4-2
149 - Tyler Banks (Hofstra) dec. Nick Brazeau (Harvard), 6-2
157 - J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) dec. #19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (Hofstra), 6-1
165 - Michael Sadler (Harvard) dec. Ryan Colmer (Hofstra), 13-6
174 - P.J. Gillespie (Hofstra) maj. dec. Bryan Panzano (Harvard), 12-4
184 - Louis Caputo (Harvard) maj. dec. Anthony Tortora (Hofstra), 9-1
197 - Ben Clymer (Hofstra) maj. dec. Sean Murphy (Harvard), 13-0
285 - Paul Snyder (Hofstra) wins by forfeit.
Army 28, Hofstra 9

West Point, NY - Pride wrestlers Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, P.J. Gillespie and Ben Clymer each claimed victories but the Black Knights captured the other seven matches, including five with bonus points, as Army defeated visiting Hofstra, 28-9, at the Gillis Field House Friday night. Army improves to 1-2 on the season while the Pride fall to 2-4-1.

The injury-riddled Pride fell behind 18-0, dropping the first four matches of the night, including forfeiting the opening 125-pound match. Army sophomore Travis Coffey (6-6) boosted the Black Knights lead to 10-0 with a 10-3 victory over Pride junior Jeff Rotella (1-8) at 133 pounds. Junior Casey Thome (6-3) gave Army a 14-0 advantage with an easy 13-2 major decision win over Hofstra freshman Luke Vaith (6-8) at 141 pounds. Army senior Matt Kyler (15-2), ranked eighth in the nation at 149 pounds, rolled to a 15-4 major decision over Pride red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks (6-10) for a 18-0 advantage.

Hofstra senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (5-2), ranked 19th at 157 pounds, put the Pride on the board with an 11-8 victory over Army freshman Daniel Young (6-3) to cut the deficit to 18-3. Sophomore P.J. Gillespie (19-8) made it two straight wins for the Pride with a 5-0 victory over Eric Gobin (9-12). But Army junior Jacob Vetter (5-5) ended the Pride run with a 12-4 major decision over Pride senior Jon Rothman (0-3), who is filling in for the injured Ryan Patrovich in the weight class.

Pride sophomore Ben Clymer (13-4) posted a 4-1 decision over Army freshman Collin Wittmeyer (10-7) at 184 pounds to close to 22-9 in the match. But Cadet senior Richard Starks (7-0), ranked 17th in the nation at 197 pounds, battled Pride senior Anthony Tortora (4-10) for a 4-0 decision. In the closest match of the night, junior Ryan Cook (6-6) recorded a third period escape to tied the match at 1-1 and then took Pride red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (4-10) down with five seconds remaining in the sudden victory period for a 3-1 victory to close out the match.

On Saturday, the Pride will host Brown University at 3 p.m. and Harvard University at 5 p.m. at the Mack Sports Complex on the Hofstra campus.

Army 28, Hofstra 9
125 - Lance Penhale (A) win by forfeit

133 - Travis Coffey (A) maj. dec. Jeff Rotella (H), 18-6

141 - Casey Thome (A) maj. dec. Luke Vaith (H), 13-2
149 - #8 Matt Kyler (A) maj. dec. Tyler Banks (H), 15-4
157 - #19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (H) dec. Daniel Young (A), 11-8
165 - P.J. Gillespie (H) dec. Eric Gobin (A), 5-0
174 - Jacob Vetter (A) maj. dec. Jon Rothman (H), 12-4
184 - Ben Clymer (H) dec. Collin Wittmeyer (A), 4-1

197 - #17 Richard Starks (A) dec. Anthony Tortora (H), 4-0

285 - Ryan Cook (A) dec. Paul Snyder (H) in SV, 3-1
Hofstra to Honor Three CAA 25th Anniversary Selections Saturday

Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Athletic Department will honor two alums and one current student-athlete, who were chosen to the Colonial Athletic Association 25th Anniversary Wrestling Team, in pre-match ceremonies before the Pride's encounter with Brown University on Saturday at the Mack Sports Complex. Match time is 3 p.m. The Pride will also take on Harvard on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Wrestling alums Jon Masa (Long Beach, NY) and Michael Patrovich (Islip, NY) and current student-athlete Lou Ruggirello (Walden, NY) will be recognized for being selected to the CAA honorary team. As part of the 25th Anniversary of the Colonial Athletic Association, the CAA is honoring silver anniversary teams in each of its sports during this academic year. These teams consist of the 25 top players in CAA history in each sport, as voted on by a panel of coaches. On Saturday, Hofstra will honor three of its eight student-athletes who were chosen to the CAA 25th Anniversary wrestling team.

Masa is the only three-time All-American in Hofstra history. He posted a record of 126-25 during his career at Hofstra. The Long Beach High School graduate is also one of only two Hofstra wrestlers who captured four conference championships, winning in 2002 at 141 pounds, and in 2003, 2005 and 2006 at 149 pounds. Masa was selected the CAA Wrestler of the Year in 2005 after a 26-10 record, and the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the CAA Championships in 2006. He earned All-American honors at the NCAA championships by placing seventh in 2003, fifth in 2006 and third in 2005.

Patrovich was a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Pride and recorded a career record of 106-30 between 2001 and 2007. The Islip High School product captured CAA championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and was named the CAA Wrestler of the Year in 2006 following a 34-5 season. He was selected the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2007 CAA Championships. Patrovich earned All-American honors at the NCAA Championships by placing fourth at 174 pounds in 2006 and sixth at 165 pounds in 2007.

Ruggirello is currently a red-shirt on the 2009-10 Pride wrestling team and will return to intercollegiate competition next season. In his three seasons with the Pride, he is a three-time CAA champion at 133 pounds and a three-time NCAA qualifier. The Valley Central High School graduate in Montgomery, New York has recorded a career record of 99-21 since arriving at Hofstra in 2006. Ruggirello was named the CAA Rookie of the Year after posting a 31-9 overall mark, a 20-4 record in duals and a 7-0 mark in conference matches in 2007. In 2008, he was awarded the Manual Gorrarian Award at the NCAA Championships after recording the most pins in the quickest amount of time. Ruggirello is also a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team member and was voted the 2009 CAA Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Hofstra's five other alums who were named to the CAA 25th Anniversary Wrestling Team, Jason DeBruin, Charles Griffin, Chris Skretkowicz, James Strouse and Chris Weidman, will be honored at a later time when schedules permit.

The Brown match is the middle match of a busy weekend for the Pride that has them facing Army Friday night (7:30 p.m.) at West Point, Brown Saturday at 3 p.m. and Harvard at 5 p.m. Hofstra, 2-3-1 on the season, had its run of bad luck continue in last Sunday's loss to #3 Ohio State. The Pride, who lost sophomore starters Steve Bonanno (125) and Justin Accordino (149) earlier this season, lost junior 165-pounder, Ryan Patrovich for the season with a knee injury. In addition, freshman, 133-pounder Jamie Franco, who is filling in for the three-time CAA champion Lou Ruggirello, who is red-shirting this season, went down with a shoulder injury that will cause him to miss at least four weeks.

Patrovich (16-7), who was ranked 10th in the nation at 174 pounds before last Sunday's loss to Ohio State's Dave Rella dropped him to 20th this week, ends a promising season that saw him place fifth at both the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle last month, and capture the North Carolina State Open in November. Bonanno and Accordino, like Patrovich, were also nationally ranked at the time of their injuries.

Senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (4-2), ranked 19th at 157 pounds, is now Hofstra's lone ranked wrestler this week by InterMat. Sophomore P.J. Gillespie (18-8), who leads the team in victories, fell out of the top 20 this week at 165 pounds after being ranked 16th, as did classmate Ben Clymer (12-4), who was 20th at 184 pounds in the last poll.

All three of Hofstra's opponents this weekend also have busy schedules this weekend. The Black Knights of Army, who will host the Pride at Gillis Field House at West Point will also host the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Boston University and Rutgers on Sunday. Army is 0-2 in dual matches this season and are led by senior Richard Starks, who is ranked 17th at 197 pounds with a 6-0 record.

The Bears of Brown University, like Hofstra, will also have three dual matches this weekend. Brown will begin its dual match season on Friday at Rutgers with duals against the Scarlet Knights and Franklin and Marshall before coming to Hofstra Saturday afternoon. The Bears placed seventh at the Keystone Classic and 38th at the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational earlier this season.

The Crimson of Harvard University is following the same schedule as Brown this weekend. Harvard heads into Friday's matches with a 1-2 dual match record with a win over Sacred Heart and losses to Penn State and Northern Iowa. Harvard, which placed 18th at the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational in December, has two ranked wrestlers in seniors J.P. O'Connor (14-0), who is ranked number one at 157 pounds, and Louis Caputo (5-2), who is ranked 10th at 184 pounds.
#3 Ohio State 32, Hofstra 6

Hempstead, NY- Hofstra senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman and sophomore Ben Clymer each posted decision victories but the Buckeyes won the rest as #3 Ohio State defeated the Pride, 32-6, at the Mack Sports Complex Sunday. The Buckeyes improve to 6-0 on the season while Hofstra falls to 2-3-1 this year.

The Buckeyes won the first four matches to jump out to a commanding 20-0 lead. Starting at 125 pounds, Ohio State junior Nikko Triggas (16-9) took home a forfeit win for a 6-0 lead. The Pride, who have already lost their starters at both 125 and 149 pounds to season-ending injuries this season, lost their 133-pounder, freshman Jamie Franco for at least one week with a shoulder injury in his match against sophomore Ian Paddock (11-4). Franco (4-8) was forced to take a medical default at the 5:40 mark. OSU senior Reece Humphrey (16-0), ranked number one at 141 pounds, gave the Buckeyes a 16-0 advantage with an 18-7 major decision over Pride freshman Luke Vaith (6-7). Buckeye senior Lance Palmer (16-1), ranked fourth at 149 pounds, boosted the Ohio State lead to 20-0 with a 12-4 major decision over Hofstra red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks (6-9).

Hofstra got on the scoreboard at 157 pounds behind senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (4-2). Following a 6-6 tie after one period, the 19th-ranked Bonilla-Bowman took the lead in the second with an escape and two takedowns on the way to an 18-11 victory over sophomore Sean Nemac (10-4).

But the Buckeyes would bounce back to with consecutive victories at 165 and 174. At 165, seventh-ranked Colt Sponseller (12-2) posted a third period escape and a takedown and benefitted from riding out Pride sophomore P.J. Gillespie (18-8) in the second period for a 4-0 victory. Senior Dave Rella (11-4) notched a third period escape and held on for a 3-2 victory over Hofstra's 10th-ranked junior Ryan Patrovich (16-7) at 174 pounds.

The Pride posted their second and final victory of the day at 184 pounds when 20th-ranked sophomore Ben Clymer (12-4) escaped with 1:07 to play in the third period to snap a 3-3 tie and held on for a 4-3 win over sophomore T.C. Pendleton. The Buckeyes captured the last two matches with sophomore C.J. Magrum (9-5) cruising to a 6-1 victory over Pride senior Anthony Tortora (4-9) at 197 pounds, and OSU senior Corey Morrison (9-6) posting a 10-3 win over Hofstra red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (4-9) at 285 pounds.

The Pride will return to action next Friday night, January 8 when they travel to West Point, New York to face the Black Knights of Army at 7:30 p.m. Hofstra will host Ivy League members, Brown and Harvard, on Saturday, January 9 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively, at the Mack Sports Complex.

#3 Ohio State 32, Hofstra 6
125 - Nikko Triggas (OS) win by forfeit
133 - Ian Paddock (OS) win by medical forfeit over Jamie Franco (H) at 5:40
141 - #1 Reece Humphrey (OS) maj. dec. Luke Vaith (H), 18-7
149 - #4 Lance Palmer (OS) maj. dec. Tyler Banks (H), 12-4
157 - #19 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (H) dec. Sean Nemac (OS), 18-11
165 - #7 Colt Sponseller (OS) dec. #16 P.J. Gillespie (H), 4-0
174 - Dave Rella (OS) dec. #10 Mike Patrovich (H), 3-2
184 - Ben Clymer (H) dec. T.C. Pendleton (OS), 4-3
197 - C.J. Magrum (OS) dec. Anthony Tortora (H), 6-1
285 - Corey Morrison (OS) dec. Paul Snyder (H), 10-3
Patrovich Placed Fifth, Gillespie Placed Eighth at Southern Scuffle

Greensboro, NC – Hofstra junior Ryan Patrovich placed fifth at 174 pounds and sophomore P.J. Gillespie placed eighth at 165 pounds to lead the Pride wrestling team to a 23rd place finish at the 2009 Southern Scuffle at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center Wednesday.

Patrovich, ranked 10th in the country at 174 pounds, recorded a 5-2 decision over Indiana’s Trevor Perry, in Wednesday morning’s quarterfinals. He was then sent to the consolation bracket with a 4-0 loss to Virginia’s fourth-ranked Chris Henrich in the semifinals. Patrovich then dropped a 6-5 decision to Minnesota’s Scott Glasser, placing him in the match for fifth place, which he won when George Mason’s Bagna Tovuujav gave a medical forfeit. Patrovich is now 16-6 on the season.

Gillespie, ranked 16th in the nation at 165 pounds, dropped a 4-2 decision to Old Dominion’s 10th-ranked Chris Brown in the championship quarterfinals. He then defeated North Carolina’s Kyle Kiss, 9-2, in the fifth round of the consolation bracket before dropping a 5-2 decision to Cornell’s ninth-ranked Justin Kerber. Gillespie then dropped a 3-1 decision to Penn’s Stephen Burak in the seventh-place match. Gillespie is now 18-7 on the year.

The Pride, who competed with just five wrestlers at the Scuffle, finished with 24.5 points as the Big Red of Cornell captured the team title with 164 points. Minnesota (151.5) was second followed by Indiana (131.5), Edinboro (97.5) and Virginia (96.5).

Hofstra will return to action this Sunday, January 3 when the Pride entertain the third-ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State in the annual Teague Ryan Memorial Fund match at the Mack Sports Complex at 11 a.m. Teague Ryan, the youngest son of former Pride coach and current Ohio State coach Tom Ryan, passed away suddenly at age five in 2004. A portion of the ticket sales for this match will benefit Hofstra’s Teague Ryan Fund

Festivities for the Ohio State match will kick-off on Saturday night, January 2 at the 2010 Hofstra Wrestling Banquet from 7-9 p.m. at David S. Mack Hall (Hofstra University Club). Hofstra will unveil and formally dedicate the Teague Ryan Memorial Wrestling Complex during the banquet. The cost of the Banquet ticket is $100 in advance or $125 at the door.
Patrovich Fifth, Gillespie Sixth as Hofstra Pride Place 24th at the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational

Primm, NV - Junior Ryan Patrovich placed fifth and sophomore P.J. Gillespie finished sixth at the 2009 Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational at the Star of the Desert Arena Saturday

Patrovich, the fifth seed in the tournament, opened the second day with a win by medical forfeit over Navy's Luke Rebertus in the fifth round of the consolations. He was then pinned by the sixth seed, Purdue's Luke Manual in 1:27. Patrovich then defeated Justin Zeerip from Michigan, 4-1, in the fifth-place match. He is now 11-4 on the season.

Gillespie, who was unseeded in the tournament, opened his second day with a 9-5 decision over Navy's Oscar Huntley, who was seeded 11th. He then dropped a 3-2 decision on the riding time point to Wyoming's seventh-seeded Shane Onufer. Gillespie then dropped an 8-5 decision to fifth-seed Paul Young from Indiana in the fifth-place match. He is 14-4 on the season.

The Pride finished with 30.5 points in 24th place as Ohio State won the tournament with 122.5 points. Cornell was second with 121.5 points and Oklahoma was third with 109.5.

Hofstra returns to action on Sunday, December 13 when the Pride host Lock Haven University at the Mack Sports Complex. Match time is 3 p.m.
Hofstra Post A 1-2 Record at the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals

Troy, NY - Sophomore Ben Clymer remained undefeated on the season with three more victories as the Hofstra Pride recorded a 1-2 record at the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals at the McDonough Center on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College Saturday.

The Pride defeated Northern Colorado, 27-9 but dropped decisions to #18 Virginia (28-6) and #8 Nebraska (29-6). Clymer, the only Hofstra wrestler to go undefeated in the Northeast Duals, is now 8-0 on the season. The Pride is 1-2-1 on the season. Hofstra wrestled without sophomore starters Steve Bonanno at 125, who is recovering from a knee injury, and Justin Accordino at 149, who will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury sustained last week.

In the Pride's first match against Northern Colorado, Hofstra jumped out to a 9-0 lead. Freshman Jamie Franco (4-2) posted a reversal in overtime for a 2-0 victory over #15 Tony Mustari and junior Jeff Rotella (1-3) won by injury default over Casey Cruz. The Bears came back as Kenny Hashimoto notched a 4-1 victory over Pride freshman Luke Vaight (5-3) at 141 and Justin Gonzales downed red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks (4-3), 6-2 at 149 pounds to close to 9-6.

But Hofstra captured five of the next six matches to win going away. Senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman downed Justin Gaethje, 9-5 at 157-pounds before Tanner Weiks brought Northern Colorado back to within three at 12-9 with a 4-3 decision on a third period escape over Pride sophomore P.J. Gillespie at 165 pounds. But Hofstra junior Ryan Patrovich (6-0) started four straight victories with a 10-2 major decision over Brandon Kamerzell at 174. Sophomore Ben Clymer (6-0) posted a 12-0 major decision over Eric Brennan at 184 and senior Anthony Tortora (3-3) followed with an 11-3 major win over Ed Matthews at 197. Red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (3-3) closed the match with a 5-2 victory over Justin Tuell at 285.

In the second match, the Cavaliers of Virginia won eight of the 10 matches and displayed their superb riding ability on the way to victory. Virginia won the first five matches, including an tech fall upset by Danny Gonsor over # 8 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman at 157 pounds. Sophomore P.J. Gillespie put Hofstra on the board with a 5-1 victory over Mike Chaires at 165 to close the deficit to 19-3. But 2009 All-American and #6 Chris Henrich defeated #10 Ryan Patrovich, 7-0, at 174-pounds before Clymer posted Hofstra's last victory of the match with a 4-2 decision over Mike Salopek at 184. Virginia All-American and #15 Brent Jones defeated Anthony Tortora, 7-5 and Jack Danilkowicz downed Paul Snyder, 5-2, at 285 to close out the match.

The Pride's final match of the day, against #8 Nebraska, was similar to the Virginia match with the Cornhuskers winning eight of the 10 matches. Once again, the Pride dropped the first five matches of the contest to jump out to a 17-0 lead with C.J. Napier posting a 12-4 major decision over Jeff Rotella at 133 and defending national champion and top-ranked Jordan Burroughs posting a 22-9 major decision over Bonilla-Bowman. Gillespie posted his second win of the day with a 10-3 decision over Alex Ward at 165 pounds, blowing the match open with a big third period. After All-American and #6 Stephen Dwyer downed Ryan Patrovich, 5-0 at 174, to boost the Nebraska lead to 20-3, Clymer notched his third win of the day with a 5-2 decision over Josh Ihnen at 184. Hofstra senior Anthony Tortora was pinned by second-ranked Craig Brester in 1:31 of the 197-pound match and Pride red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder was defeated by seventh-ranked Tucker Lane, 4-1, at 285 pounds.

The Pride will next compete at the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational next Friday and Saturday, December 4-5 at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm, Nevada.

Hofstra 27, Northern Colorado 9
125 - Jamie Franco (HU) dec. #15 Tony Mustari (NC), 2-0 in OT
133 - Jeff Rotella (HU) win by injury default
141 - Kenny Hashimoto (NC) dec. Luke Vaith (HU), 4-1
149 - Justin Gonzales (NC) dec. Tyler Banks (HU), 6-2
157 - #8 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU) dec. Justin Gaethje (NC), 9-5
165 - Tanner Weiks (NC) dec. #18 P.J. Gillespie (HU), 4-3
174 - #10 Ryan Patrovich (HU) maj. dec. Brandon Kammerzell (NC), 10-2
184 - Ben Clymer (HU) maj. dec. Eric Brennan (NC), 12-0
197 - Anthony Tortora (HU) maj. dec. Ed Matthews (NC), 11-3
285 - Paul Snyder (HU) dec. Justin Tuell (NC), 5-2

Hofstra 6, #18 Virginia 28
125 - Matt Snyder (UV) maj. dec. Jamie Franco (HU), 8-0
133 - Matt Cubillos (UV) dec. Jeff Rotella (HU), 6-5
141 - Derek Valenti (UV) dec. Luke Vaith (HU), 3-0,
149 - Kellon Balum (UV) maj. dec. Tyler Banks (HU), 9-1
157 - Danny Gonsor (UV) tech fall #8 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU), 15-0 (3:51)
165 - #18 P.J. Gillespie (HU) dec. Mike Chaires (UV), 5-1
174 - #6 Chris Henrich (UV) dec #10 Ryan Patrovich (HU), 7-0
184 - Ben Clymer (HU) dec. Mike Salopek (UV), 4-2
197 - #15 Brent Jones (UV) dec.Anthony Tortora (HU),7-5
285 - Jack Danilkowicz (UV) dec. Paul Snyder (HU), 5-2

Hofstra 6, #8 Nebraska 29
125 - David Klingsheim (NU) dec. Jamie Franco (HU), 10-4
133 - C.J. Napier (NU) maj. dec. Jeff Rotella (HU),12-4
141 - Michael Koehnlein (NU) dec. Luke Vaith (HU), 7-4
149 - Chris Hacker (NU) dec. Tyler Banks (HU), 5-1
157 - #1 Jordan Burroughs (NU) maj. dec. #8 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU), 22-9
165 - #18 P.J. Gillespie (HU) dec. Alex Ward (NU), 10-3
174 - #5 Stephen Dwyer (NU) dec. #10 Ryan Patrovich (HU), 5-0
184 - Ben Clymer (HU) dec. Josh Ihnen (NU), 5-2
197 - #2 Craig Brester (NU) WBF Anthony Tortora (HU), 1:31
285 - #7 Tucker Lane (NU) dec. Paul Snyder (HU), 4-1
Hofstra Pride Open Season With 16-16 Tie Against

Hempstead, NY - Each team won five matches but freshman Andrew Schutt's come-from-behind victory in the final 15 seconds in the final match of the day allowed the Bulls of Buffalo to tie the Hofstra Pride, 16-16, at the David S. Mack Sports Complex Sunday afternoon. The Bulls improved to 1-0-1 on the season while the Pride is 0-0-1.

Schutt trailed 3-0 in the 141-pound finale after Hofstra red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks' takedown with 16 seconds remaining in the third period. But the newcomer reversed the Pride wrestler three seconds later and then added three back-points for a 5-4 victory after Banks took the riding time point.

Sunday's contest opened up at 149 pounds with Buffalo's 16th-ranked Desi Green posting an escape with 1:51 in the third period to take a 3-2 victory over Hofstra sophomore Justin Accordino. Ninth-ranked Hofstra senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman started a four-match Pride winning streak and tied the match at 3-3 with a 10-5 victory over Andrew Stella at 157 pounds. Sophomore P.J. Gillespie posted a 5-2 win over John Martin Cannon at 165 before junior Ryan Patrovich, ranked 10th by Intermat, cruised to a 10-3 victory over Matt Bogardus at 174 pounds. Sophomore Ben Clymer's 8-0 major decision over Buffalo's Josh Peters gave the Pride a 13-3 lead at the intermission. Accordino, Gillespie and Patrovich made their debuts at their new weights Sunday.

But 20th-ranked Jimmy Hamel put Buffalo back on the winning track with an 8-6 decision over Pride senior Anthony Tortora at 197 pounds and sophomore Brett Correll posted a second period escape to snap a 3-3 tie and go on to a 5-3 decision over Hofstra red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder at 285 to close the deficit to 13-9.

Hofstra freshman Jamie Franco, who moved down a weight class to 125 pounds to fill in for the injured starter Steve Bonanno, recorded an escape with 53 seconds remaining to post a 1-0 victory over sophomore Dylan Dabolt and boost the Pride lead to 16-9. But Buffalo sophomore Kevin Smith tallied a 27-12 tech fall win over Hofstra junior Jeff Rotella at 133 pounds but didn't have any back-points for a four-point victory to close the deficit to 16-13 setting up Schutt's match-tying win.

The Pride return to action next Saturday, November 21 when they compete in the North Carolina State Wolfpack Open in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hofstra 16, Buffalo 16
149 - #16 Desi Green (UB) dec. Justin Accordino (HU), 3-2
157 - #9 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (HU) dec. Andrew Stella (UB), 10-5
165 - P.J. Gillespie (HU) dec. John Martin Cannon (UB), 5-2
174 - #10 Ryan Patrovich (HU) dec. Matt Bogardus (UB), 10-3
184 - Ben Clymer (HU) dec. Josh Peters (UB), 8-0
197 - #20 Jimmy Hamel UB) dec. Anthony Tortora (HU), 8-6
285 - Brett Correll (UB) dec. Paul Snyder (HU), 5-3
125 - Jamie Franco (HU) dec. Dylan Dabolt (UB), 1-0
133 - Kevin Smith (UB) tech fall Jeff Rotella (HU), 27-12 (6:56)
141 - Andrew Schutt (UB) dec. Tyler Banks (HU), 5-4
Three Sign National Letters of Intent for 2010-11 Hofstra Pride

Hempstead, NY - Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach Tom Shifflet today announced that three student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University and be part of the Pride program for the 2010-11 season. The three student-athletes are Matt Loew (Wantagh, NY), Cody Ruggirello (Walden, NY) and Nick Terdick (East Northport, NY).

Loew, a senior captain at Wantagh High School this season, recorded a 39-1 record, was the Section VIII champion and New York State High School Championships finalist in 2009. He has recorded a career scholastic record of 119-33 with 61 pins heading into his final season this year. Loew was a Fila Cadet All-American in 2009, placing first in Freestyle and third in Greco-Roman, and placed sixth at the Junior Nationals to earn All-American honors there, as well. He was a Fargo All-American placing fourth in Freestyle, and was an All-American and national finalist at the Junior Nationals in 2008. Loew, a National Honor Society member as well as Wantagh's Symphonic and Marching Band, was also a member of Wantagh's two-time Nassau County championship teams and the Warrior's New York State Championship team in 2009.

Ruggirello, brother of Pride senior Lou Ruggirello, is a four-time Section champion who placed in the top three in the New York State Championships all four years at Valley Central High School in Montgomery, New York. He captured the state title in 2007, placed second on 2008 and was third in 2006 and 2009. He posted a 54-1 record as a junior in 2008-09, a 48-2 mark as sophomore, a 47-2 record in 2006-07 and a 44-4 mark as an eighth-grader. Ruggirello, a four-time scholar-athlete and a Honor Society member, holds the Section IX all-time record for career victories. Ruggirello was a member of Valley Central's four-time Section IX championship team and the Vikings' New York State Championship team in 2005.

Terdick, a senior at John Glenn High School in Elwood, New York, recorded a 41-2 record and was a finalist at the 2009 New York State Championships. He also captured the New York State Freestyle champion in 2009. As a sophomore, he posted a 38-3 record, placed third in the sectionals and went on to earn Greco-Roman All-American honors at the Cadet Duals. Terdick was 21-6, a sectional finalist and a NHSCA All-American in 2007. He was a member of John Glenn's Section XI championship team in 2009.

The Pride open their 2009-10 regular season this Sunday, November 15 when they host the Bulls of the University at Buffalo at the Mack Sports Complex at 1 p.m.
Four Hofstra Pride Wrestlers Placed in the Intermat Preseaon Rankings

Hempstead, NY - As the Pride wrap-up their second week of preseason
practice in preparation for the 2009-10 season opener on Sunday,
November 15 against Buffalo at the Mack Sports Complex, four Hofstra
wrestlers have been named to the Intermat Preseason NCAA Division I
wrestling rankings.

Leading the Hofstra foursome is senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, who is
ranked ninth at 157 pounds. The Pomona, New York native, who earned an
ACC title at Virginia Tech in 2007 before transferring to Hofstra,
earned his second CAA title last season. He posted a 24-9 record and
missed All-American honors by one match at the NCAA championships last
season.

Junior Ryan Patrovich is ranked 10th at 174 pounds in Intermat's
preseason rankings. The Bohemia, New York native finished second in the
CAA last season and finished the year with a 22-10 record. Sophomore
Steve Bonanno, who also finished second in the CAA Championships last
March, is ranked 15th at 125 pounds in the preseason poll. A native of
Wantagh, New York, Bonanno recorded a 29-15 overall mark and was named
to the CAA All-Freshman team last year. Sophomore Justin Accordino, who
also placed second at the CAA Championships last year, is ranked 20th at
149 pounds by Intermat in this season's preseason poll. The
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania native posted a 25-13 record and was also
named to the CAA All-Freshman team.

In the Intermat Preseason Top 25 Team Poll, two-time defending NCAA
champion Iowa begins the season ranked number one. The Hawkeyes have
eight wrestlers ranked including 2008 NCAA champion Brent Metcalf, who
is ranked No. 1 at 149 pounds. The Iowa State Cyclones, under the
direction of first-year head coach Kevin Jackson, come in at number two
and have nine wrestlers ranked. Jake Varner, a defending NCAA champion
and 2009 U.S. Freestyle World Team member, is ranked No. 1 at 197
pounds. Ohio State, who has had NCAA runner-up finishes the past two
seasons, is ranked number three. The Buckeyes return seven starters and
have two top-ranked wrestlers in Reece Humphrey (141) and Mike Pucillo
(184).

Defending NCAA champion Troy Nickerson (125) leads fourth-ranked
Cornell, which has finished in the top 20 every year since 2002,
including three top-five finishes. Minnesota, a program that has won
three national titles since 2001, is ranked fifth. The Golden Gophers
have seven wrestlers ranked, including No. 1-ranked Dustin Schlatter
(165), a 2006 NCAA champion and 2009 U.S. Freestyle World Team member.
Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, Boise State, and Maryland round out
the top 10.

The Big Ten has the most representation of any conference in the team
rankings with seven schools ranked. Those schools include Iowa (No. 1),
Ohio State (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 5), Wisconsin (No. 11), Penn State
(No. 14), Indiana (No. 15), and Michigan State (No. 21).

Six 2009 NCAA champion are back to defend their titles: Nickerson
(125), Franklin Gomez of Michigan State (133), Jordan Burroughs of
Nebraska (157), Jarrod King of Edinboro (165), Jake Varner of Iowa State
(197), and Mark Ellis of Missouri (285). Additionally, four past NCAA
champions return, including Angel Escobedo of Indiana (125), a 2008 NCAA
champion; Metcalf (149), a 2008 NCAA champion; Schlatter (165), who won
the NCAA title at 149 pounds in 2006; and Pucillo (184), a 2008 NCAA
champion.
Hofstra Adds Wisconsin All-American Zach Tanelli to Coaching Staff

Hempstead, NY - Three-time NCAA Championship qualifier and 2009
All-American Zach Tanelli has been named an assistant coach on the
Hofstra Wrestling coaching staff, Pride head coach Tom Shifflet
announced Thursday.

A University of Wisconsin graduate Tanelli placed fourth at the 2009
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri in March.
The Short Hills, New Jersey native recorded a 6-2 record, including five
straight victories, in the National Championships to earn his first
All-America honor. Tanelli, who was the top-ranked wrestler at 141
pounds for eight weeks through the conference tournament, placed second
in the Big 10 Championships. The 2008 Midlands champion finished the
year with a 31-6 record, including a 15-1 mark in duals and a 7-0 record
in the Big 10 and ranked second in the country.

Tanelli earned his first NCAA Championship bid in 2007 as a wildcard
after placing eighth in the Big Ten Championships. He recorded a 21-10
overall record including a 19-3 mark in dual matches and a 5-3 record in
the Big 10. Tanelli also led the Badgers in dual points with 80. As a
junior in 2007-08, he earned his second NCAA Championship bid by
finishing fifth in the Big 10 Championships. Tanelli posted a 3-2 record
at Nationals to finish the season with a 28-12 record including a 13-5
mark in duals and a 5-3 record in conference action.

A two-time New Jersey State Championship runner-up out of Millburn High
School, Tanelli notched an 8-3 record and captured the Pointer Open
title as a red-shirt freshman at Wisconsin in 2005-06. During his
four-year career at Wisconsin, Tanelli posted an 88-31 overall record
including a 49-10 mark in duals and a 17-6 record in the Big 10.

Tanelli holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Wisconsin. He
replaces Joe Dubuque, who left Hofstra in June to become an assistant at
his alma mater, Indiana University.

For Immediate Release
July 9, 2009
Contact: Jim
Sheehan
(516) 463-6764

Hofstra wrestlers was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic TeamNational Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team

Hempstead, NY - Hofstra junior wrestler Lou Ruggirello was named to the
National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team and the Pride
team was named one of the 2009 Division I All-Academic Top 30 teams, the
NWCA announced recently.

To be eligible for the NWCA All-Academic Team wrestlers must have at
least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of
his total schedule * and must have competed in at least 60 percent of
said schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic team is
have a 3.0 cumulative and been an NCAA All-American.

The 2008-09 individual All-Academic Team is highlighted by a total of
51 NCAA Qualifiers, 17 NCAA All-Americans, 8 NCAA Finalist and 5 NCAA
Champions. In total 73 individuals representing 45 schools are being
honored this year on the All-Academic Team.

Ruggirello, a Walden, New York native, earned his second NWCA
All-Academic team honor after receiving it in 2008. A three-time Hofstra
Athletics Academic Honor Roll selection and Dean's List student, he is a
three-year CAA Commissioner's Academic Award recipient and was named the
2009 CAA Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Ruggirello majors in
marketing with a 3.55 cumulative grade point average

On the mat, Ruggirello is a three-time CAA champion at 133 pounds. A
three-time national qualifier, he was seeded ninth at 133 pounds in the
2009 NCAA Championships and went 2-2, falling just one win short of
All-America honors. He finished the year with a 30-5 overall record,
including a 15-1 mark in dual matches, and was undefeated (6-0) in CAA
duals. Ruggirello won the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic and was second
at the Missouri Open and Southern Scuffle this season. For his career,
he owns an impressive 99-21 record.

“The student-athletes on this All-Academic Team exemplify what we are
looking for in the sport of wrestling. You see teams and individuals
from the largest institutions that sponsor wrestling to the smaller
colleges listed. There is diversity here that you do not always get to
see when it comes to compiling these types of teams,” said Jim
Beichner NWCA President.

The Hofstra wrestling team earned its second NWCA All-Academic Top 30
Team honor in the last seven years after earning the award in 2003. For
teams to be eligible for consideration, the team GPA is comprised of 12
student athletes, including the 10 wrestlers that were the entries in
the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. If teams had less than 10
entries for their respective qualifier, they may fill those spots with
wrestlers that competed in at least one varsity dual during the season.
The Pride wrestling team posted a 2.89 team GPA in 2008-09.

“We are finding that year in and year out, coaches strive to have
their team’s listed as an All-Academic Team. This is another measure
of success for these programs,” said Executive Director Mike Moyer.
“There is so much more to wrestling than what is done on the mat
and we see just one part of that here with the All-Academic Team.”

“As a coaches association, we look forward to recognizing the
accomplishments of our coaches and wrestlers each year. This is just
another way to showcase our sport’s close alignment with educational
values,” said Moyer.

Hofstra to Send Eight Wrestlers to NCAA Championships Next Week

HEMPSTEAD, NY - Hofstra sophomore Ryan Patrovich and red-shirt freshman
Justin Accordino have each received at-large bids to participate in the
2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri next
week, the NCAA Wrestling Committee announced this afternoon.

The latest two Pride wrestlers to get bids brings the Hofstra total of
NCAA Championships participants to eight this year. Three Pride
wrestlers, juniors Lou Ruggirello (Walden, NY) at 133 pounds and Jonny
Bonilla-Bowman (Pomona, NY) at 157 pounds, red-shirt freshman P.J.
Gillespie (Long Beach, NY), earned NCAA bids as CAA Champions. Three
more, senior Alton Lucas (West Babylon, NY) second at 174 pounds,
sophomore Joe Fagiano (Chicago, IL) fourth at 197 pounds, and Steve
Bonanno (Wantagh, NY) second at 125 pounds, earned CAA Championship
Tournament qualifying bids.

Accordino, a native of Wilkes-Barre, PA, placed second at last
weekend's CAA Championship. He is now 23-11 on the season.
Patrovich, from Bohemia, NY, placed third at the conference
championships and enters his second NCAA Championship with a 20-8
record.

The 2009 NCAA Championships mark the ninth consecutive year that
Hofstra will be sending seven or more wrestlers to the national
championships. Previously, the Pride sent eight wrestlers to the
national championships in 1951, 2003 (21st place), 2004 (20th place) and
2006 (11th place). The Hofstra school record for national championship
participants is nine, set in 2005. The Pride placed 17th in the final
standings that year. Hofstra's best team finish came in 2007 when the
Pride placed seventh with seven wrestlers including a school-record four
All-Americans. Last year, Hofstra placed 15th in the final national
championship standings with seven participants and two All-Americans
(Charles Griffin and Altom Lucas).

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held at the
Scottrade Center in St. Louis from Thursday, March 19 through Saturday,
March 21. The first session begins at 11 a.m. (CDT) on Thursday with the
nationally-televised finals scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday night.
Gillespie Named CAA Rookie of the Year; Hofstra Prep for NCAA Championships Next Week

HEMPSTEAD, NY - Hofstra red-shirt freshman P.J. Gillespie has been
named the Colonial Athletic Association's Wrestling Rookie of the Week
for his performance at the CAA Championships in Chesapeake, Virginia
last weekend.

The Pride captured their eighth consecutive CAA team championship and
their ninth straight conference title Saturday, topping second-place Old
Dominion, 106.5-86.5. Rider was third with 57.5 points followed by
Binghamton (44), George Mason (40), Drexel (27.5), Boston University
(26) and Sacred Heart (5.5).

Gillespie, a 149-pounder from Long Beach, New York, defeated the third,
second and top seeded wrestlers to capture his first CAA championship
and earn his first bid to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in
St. Louis, Missouri March 19-21. Gillespie defeated third-seeded Anthony
Priore from Sacred Heart, 4-3, in the first round; second-seeded Joey
Metzler from Old Dominion, 5-3, in the semifinals; and top-seeded and
19th-ranked (AWN) Mike Roberts from Boston University, 3-2 in the second
tie-breaker, in the championship match.

The Long Beach High School graduate, who is one of at least six Hofstra
wrestlers who will be making his way to St. Louis next week, improved to
19-13 on the season. Gillespie will be joined by teammates and fellow
CAA champions juniors Lou Ruggirello (Walden, NY) at 133 pounds, and
Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (Pomona, NY) at 157 pounds. Freshman Steve Bonanno
(Wantagh, NY) at 125 pounds, senior Alton Lucas (West Babylon, NY) at
174 pounds, and sophomore Joe Fagiano (Chicago, IL) at 197 pounds all
earned conference qualifying bids as well. Bonanno and Lucas finished
second while Fagiano placed fourth. The NCAA will announce their list of
wild cards in all 10 weight classes on Wednesday.

Hofstra had sent seven or more wrestlers to the NCAA Division I
Wrestling Championships every year since 2001. In 2000 the Pride sent
six.