DAY ONE
WATERBURY, Vt. – Husson University holds a six-shot lead and looks for their sixth consecutive conference title after day one of the 2011 NAC Men's Golf Championship as the Eagles' score of 295 topped the field at the Country Club of Vermont. Salem State University stands in second place (301) while Castleton State College in third (315). The University of Maine-Farmington (329) is in fourth place while Maine Maritime Academy is in sixth place (339). Host Johnson State College (399) is in sixth place and Green Mountain College (420) is in the seventh.
A pair of HU Eagles sit on top of the individual leader board with Chris Hamel (Waterville, Maine/Waterville) and Matt Loubier (Winslow, Maine/Winslow) firing one-under 71's. A pair of Salem State Vikings are three shots back in Tom Grant (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) and Matt Sebert (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) each shooting 73. Husson's Tim Carlson (Mars Hill, Maine/Central Aroostook), Castleton's Bryan Fitzgerald (Shelton, Conn./Shelton), and Salem's Nick Zolotas (Peabody, Mass./St. John's Prep) are tied four shots off the pace at 74.
Johnson State was led by Ira Tillberg (Randolph, Vt./Randolph) who shot a 92.
The two-day tournament will resume on Sunday at 8:30 am with a shotgun start.
DAY TWO/WRAP UP
WATURBURY, Vt. – Husson University held off a furious Sunday charge by Salem State University to win their sixth consecutive North Atlantic Conference Men's Golf Championship by one stroke at the Country Club of Vermont. The Eagles, who led Salem State and the seven-team field by six shots after Saturday action, finished with a team score of 600 compared to the Vikings 601. Castleton State College would finish in third place with a score of 635, the University of Maine-Farmington came in fourth place with a tally of 663, Maine Maritime Academy was the fifth place team with a score of 699, host Johnson State College came in sixth with a 786, and Green Mountain College was seventh with a count of 851.
Husson's Matt Loubier (Winslow, Maine/Winslow) earned North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year honors by firing a 74 on Sunday after shooting 71 on Saturday for a total score of 145. That number was one stroke better than teammate Chris Hamel (Waterville, Maine/Waterville) who shot 71-75-146 as well as Salem's Nick Zolotas (Peabody, Mass./St. John's Prep) who shot the low-round on Sunday with a 71 following Saturday's 75.
Salem teammates Tom Grant (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) and Matt Sebert (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) had identical weekend scores of 74-77-151 to tie for fourth place while Castleton's Bryan Fitzgerald (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) came in sixth place with a score of 75-77-152.
Fitzgerald was the lowest-scoring newcomer to the North Atlantic Conference earning him the NAC Rookie of the Year Award.
Led by Zolotas' 71, the Vikings shot a team-low score of 300 on Sunday but it was not enough to overcome the strong play of Loubier, Hamel and the rest of the Eagles. The Vikings were making their first appearance in the North Atlantic Conference Men's Golf Championship in 2011.
NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Matt Loubier – Husson
NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
Bryan Fitzgerald – Castleton
NAC 1st Team All-Conference:
Chris Hamel – Husson
Nick Zolotas – Salem
Tom Grant – Salem
Matt Sebert – Salem
Bryan Fitzgerald – Castleton
NAC 2nd Team All-Conference:
Chris Berry – Salem
Orion Cochrane – Farmington
Tim Carlson – Husson
Cam Wood – Castleton
David Dubois II – Husson