May 4, 2008

2008 NEC Men's Golf Championship Final Results

HERSHEY, Pa. (May 4, 2008) - The Sacred Heart Pioneers captured their first ever Northeast Conference men's golf championship after firing a record-setting 54-hole total of 870 (+6). SHU bested the 11 team field winning the three-day tournament by 23 strokes over second place finisher Long Island (+29). Sacred Heart will now move on to represent the NEC in NCAA regional play from May 15-17.

The Pioneers' second round 280 set the conference's 18-hole record, while the team's score of 577 through the first two days of competition broke the league's 36-hole mark. First year head coach Ed Connolly earned 2008 NEC Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.

Junior Patrick Fillian (Tinton Falls, NJ) led the Pioneers with three-striaght rounds shooting 71 to finish the tournament with a 213 (-3), one stroke off the lead for a second place finish. Fillian finished behind Monmouth's Anthony Campanile who won the event with a 212 (70-71-71).

Sophomore Adam Petrasovic (Tecumseh, Ontario) took home a seventh place finish with a three day score of 217 (72-68-77), one over for 54 holes. Senior Tommy Campbell (Wall, NJ) tied for eighth overall with a three-round total of 220 (77-70-73), four over. The trio all garner All-NEC honors thanks to their top-10 finishes.

Junior Matt Belizze (North Salem, NY) finished inside the top-20, tying for 17th overall with a 225 (79-71-75) while fellow junior Kevin Lauretti (Newington, CT) rounded out SHU's five in a tie for 23rd. Lauretti fired a 74 on Sunday and finished with a three-round total of 228 (77-77-74).

Long Island (303-296-294) and Central Connecticut State (293-300-302) finished second and third, respectively, carding scores of 893 and 895, while Mount St. Mary's (296-298-302-896) and 2007 champion Monmouth (304-289-304-897) rounded out the top five. The event took place over this weekend at the Hershey Links in Hershey, Pennsylvania.