By Bob Bonett
Despite losing All-American wrestler Mike Patrovich to graduation this year, Tom Shifflet and the Hofstra Pride will still don the Patrovich name in 2008.
After committing to Hofstra in 2006, Ryan Patrovich, an Islip native, received word that Tom Ryan, the former Pride head coach, received an offer to coach the Ohio State Buckeyes wrestling team. Coach Ryan abruptly accepted the offer, moving west to coach in the acclaimed Big Ten.
A predicament ensued for the younger Patrovich. Stay the course and join his brother under Shifflet, the new head coach, at Hofstra University, or follow the nationally renowned Ryan to Ohio State. Patrovich elected the latter choice, opting for the coach’s reputation over the program.
However, after watching Shifflet pioneer the Pride to another impressive season, perhaps even more so than under Ryan in 2005-06, the younger Patrovich announced his intentions to transfer to Hofstra for the spring semester of 2007. Patrovich would red-shirt for the remainder of the season, and begin wrestling for the program in the fall of 2007, following the graduation of Mike.
As for the implications this transfer holds for Hofstra’s program: nothing but optimism.
“Having Ryan back is definitely a positive thing,” said Shifflet. “He was a great high school wrestler, one of the best ever from Long Island, and he will be great for the program.”
Expectations for Patrovich will be high next year, too. Shifflet hopes that the red-shirt freshman will step into an important role immediately, hopefully leading the talented bunch to overcome the losses of older brother Mike and fellow All-American Chris Weidman next season.
“Ryan has pretty high goals from himself which can be accomplished,” Shifflet said. “He is going to expect a lot from himself, and he should be able to step right in and be a leader.”
Thankfully, Patrovich will not be alone carrying the team past the two great losses to graduation, joining the likes of Mitch Smith, James Strouse, Lou Ruggirello, Dave Tomasette, and Alton Lucas in the lineup.
One thing is quite clear, though. Ryan will certainly be wrestling under a monumental shadow cast by the graduating Mike in 2007, a shadow he hopes to eclipse, and then some, over the next four years for the Hofstra Pride.