SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- Led by senior Austin Teal's (Loudonville, N.Y.) three-over round of 75 at the Western New England Invitational, the Endicott golf team finished third in the ten team field. The invitational was the last tune-up for the Gulls before the two-day Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship begins next Friday, April 29.
The Gulls finished behind winner/host Western New England and runner-up Salem State, while WNE's split squad and Nichols finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Teal finished in a tie for sixth, just five strokes off the winning score of 70. Sophomore Ben Palazzo's (Farmington, Conn.) round of five-over 77 placed him in a tie for 12th with teammate Dan Negus (Pembroke, Mass.). One stroke off the pace was newcomer Athan Goulas (Peabody, Mass.) who continued his strong start for the Gulls with a six-over 78, while senior Alex Viola (Brunswick, Maine) rounded out the scoring with a round of 80 in a tie for 25th in the 53 man field.
TOP QUOTE
"There were a lot of positives to take from yesterday's WNE Invitational," said head coach Tom Smith. "The other teams showed their cards to us and we know exactly what to expect as we prepare for the CCC championship. We know they're playing great and we need to bring our A-Game if we expect to go back to the NCAA Tournament. We know it is going to be a showdown and that's what we all are preparing for. The team that wants it more will stand tall as champions and represent our conference in the Tournament. We believe we can do it and will be ready to go next Friday at high noon!"
BEYOND THE SCORECARD
- The 6th place finish is Teal's eighth of his senior campaign.
- It was the fifth time this season that Endicott has finished in the top three with a field larger than 10 teams competing. The Gulls have finished in the top three in three consecutive competitions.
- Palazzo 's 12th place finish was his best finish since back-to-back seventh place finishes at the ECAC DIII New England Championship and the UNE Invitational in the fall.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Gulls now turn their attention to the CCC Championship next Friday and Saturday (April 29-30). Endicott will be looking to claim its fourth title in the past five years after finishing as the runner-up in 2015, snapping a streak of three straight titles.
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