Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Pride Wrestling team begins its 68th season of competition and their first under new coach Dennis Papadatos this Sunday, November 2 when they host Lock Haven University at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Match time is 2:30 p.m. Lock Haven will face Stony Brook in a prelim match at 1 p.m.

Hofstra match and season tickets can be purchased by phone by calling the Hofstra Athletics Ticket Office at 516-HOF-TIXX (463-8499), or in person at the Mack Sports Complex Ticket Office, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Lock Haven match is the start of the Papadatos-era as the 12th head wrestling coach in program history. The new coach hit the ground running in August, eager to install his coaching system, both philosophically and culturally. While Papadatos lost five starters, including three of the Pride's four 2014 NCAA Championship qualifiers to graduation last May, former coach Rob Anspach left a core of 12 returnees, with five starters, and a solid group of red-shirts and newcomers.

Leading the group is the lone returning NCAA Championship qualifier, graduate-student Cody Ruggirello. The 149-pound qualifier, who placed fourth in Hofstra's inaugural season in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), recorded a career-best 26-12 mark last season while also earning National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic team honors. Ruggirello is ranked 19th in preseason polls by InterMat and Associated Wrestling Press (AWP).

Ruggirello will be joined by a group of fellow returning starters – all sophomores – in Jamel Hudson, who will move up from 133 pounds to 141 this season; Jahlani Callender at 157 pounds; Frank Affronti at 174 pounds; and Michael Hughes, the only true sophomore in the group, at 285. In addition, two-year starter Jermaine John, who missed last season with an injury, also returns and will be in the starting role at 184. "I am really excited about seeing what this core group can do for us this season," Papadatos says.

But that left Papadatos with five weight classes in which to identify a starter from a group of talented red-shirts and eight newcomers. The first-year coach has filled vacant spots at 125, 133, 165 and 197 pounds and will get them battle-tested and ready for the EIWA and, hopefully, the NCAA Championships in March.

The first two lower weights will be manned by the Long Island-brother tandem of Travis and Maverick Passaro. The Manorville, New York natives are both former New York State High School champions. Travis, a true freshman, posted a 50-0 mark as a senior and a 205-22 career record and gets the starting nod at 125. Maverick, a red-shirt sophomore, was 8-4 in open tournaments last season and will be looking to return to the form that earned him the 2012 state scholastic championship.

The graduation of Hofstra's first Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) champion, Joe Booth, left the weight class open for a good battle between senior Nick Terdick and freshman Bobby Fehr with Terdick, who started at 157 during the first half last season, getting the starting spot.

Another strong battle was waged for the starting spot at 197 pounds between two true freshmen, Michael Oxley and DJ Zissimos. Oxley, a two-time district and regional champion and fifth-place finisher in the New Jersey State High School Championships, will be the starter in this weight class.

Sunday's match is the first encounter between Hofstra and Lock Haven since a 26-6 Pride victory on February 9, 2011. The Bald Eagles return two NCAA qualifiers from last season in 149-pound junior Dan Neff, who was 32-10 at 141 last year, and senior Fred Garcia, who was 25-9 and placed second in the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) in 2013-14. Neff is ranked 25^th by the Associated Wrestling Press while Garcia is 23^rd. Junior Bobby Rehm is ranked 28th at 141 and classmate Phil Sprenkle is rated 31st at 197 pounds. As a team, the Bald Eagles were 3-10 in duals last season.