Sept. 24, 2009

The UMass Lowell golf team garnered two first-place votes and was selected to place second in the Northeast-10 Conference Golf Championship Coaches Poll, released Thursday.

The River Hawks, runners-up at the 2008 NE-10 Championship, finished second behind 2008 titlist Le Moyne, which drew five first-place votes. American International College was chosen third while Southern New Hampshire (one first place vote) and NE-10 newcomer Adelphi (four votes) came in a fourth and fifth, respectively.

Assumption was tabbed sixth and was followed by Saint Anselm, Saint Rose and Bentley while Pace, Saint Michael’s and Franklin Pierce rounded out the poll.

The 2009 NE-10 Championship, hosted by American International, is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 5 and Monday, Oct. 6 at the Crumpin Fox Golf Club in Bernardston, MA.

“The poll is mostly based on past performances. But we are flattered because of how far our program has come over the last six years,” said UML head coach Gary Mucica. “We are feeling good about where we are right now and we believe that we can contend.

“The fact that the breadth of the first place votes is so wide echoes how competitive our conference is,” he added.

The River Hawks have played in three tournaments thus far, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Goldey-Beacom Invitational, led by senior Patrick Bean (Fitchburg, MA) and junior Thomas Ayala (East Taunton, MA) who shared eighth-place in the 55-player field.

Bean scored rounds of 76-75—150 while Ayala shot an 80-70—150.

Senior Brendan Livingston (Westford, MA) leads UMass Lowell this season with an average of 76.5 for the three tournaments (six rounds) while Ayala is close behind with a 77.67 clip, and Bean a 78.5 average.

The River Hawks enter the Dowling Invitational Sunday and Monday at Long Island National Golf Club in Riverhead, NY.