ESSEX, Mass.- With only four qualifying for the spring Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship and the chance to win the conference's first ever automatic NCAA bid, pressure was at an all-time high at the Essex Country Club. The Gulls used a consistent team effort to shoot an overall -314, placing them in the fourth and final spot in the spring's championship.
Endicott was led by a trio of golfers that shot rounds of 78 on the day and tied for fifth place. Zach Golojuch (Saco, Maine), Austin Teal (Loudonville, N.Y.) and Ian Teal (Loudonville, N.Y.) all saw their back nine scores improve to record team low rounds of 78. Golojuch imrpoved on his opening round 40 to close with a 38, as did Ian Teal. Austin Teal struggled on the opening nine on his way to shooting a 43 and then improved his score by eight strokes to finish the back nine with a 35 for a round of 78.
Nicholas Erlichman (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Dan Sullivan (South Hadley, Mass.) were both right on their teammates' heels as they shot rounds of 80 and 82 respectively. Erlichman shot identical scores of 40 on the front and back on the day which included a monster drive on the 18th that cleared the first hill and set up nicely on the fairway to use a short iron to the green. Sullivan, after struggling on the opening nine with a score of 45, imrpoved his score by eight strokes as well on the back nine and closed with a 37 on the back for a score of 82.
Endicott's team score of 314 was just eight strokes off the winning team score of 306 which was put forth by Western New England on the par 70 course. Nichols, aided greatly by medalist Colin Whitney's 68, came in second with a team score of 310. The Noreasters from the Unversity of New England finished third with a score of 312, narrowly beating out the Gulls. These four squads will now compete in the spring CCC championship for the conference's first ever automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The Gulls return to action on Saturday as the team competes in the two day Husson Invitational. Tee time is set for 11:30 am on Saturday and is to be determined on Sunday.
