Golf Places Seventh at Competitive Penn State-Harrisburg Invitational

Harrisburg, Pa. - The Golden Eagle men's golf team traveled to Dauphin Highlands Golf Course in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over the weekend.  The invitational held by Penn State-Harrisburg came with some serious competition, having eleven highly ranked Mid-Atlantic Division III golf teams participating. 

St. Joseph's College's men were off to a great start in day one, taking full advantage of the near perfect weather conditions.  The Golden Eagles posted a team total of 323, placing them 6th among the 12 teams competing. 

Junior Robert Bray (Shoreham, N.Y. / Shoreham-Wading River) and senior Ken Ortiz (Centereach, N.Y. /Centereach) posted solid rounds of 79.  The team's captain, senior Sean Sanders (Shoreham, N.Y. /Shoreham-Wading River), posted a very good score of 82, while junior Zac Campanelli  (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) had a very good score of 83.  However, the most impressing performance was by the team's freshman, Vincent Garofalo (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge).  In just his second collegiate competition, Hauppauge's finest posted a fantastic score of 83. This is quite an achievement for a freshman, especially so soon in his first collegiate season.

After a promising first day of the invitational, the second day was not favorable to Coach Cangero's golf team.  With winds reaching 20-30 mph, the players had to adjust their game, taking them out of their comfort zone.  Due to the windy conditions, the golfers had a hard time cutting through the wind. 

Despite the great adversity, the Golden Eagles were able to post a respectable 347 on day two.  Bray continued to lead the team, posting an 84.  The rest of the team filed in one-by-one behind him with scores of 85, 89, 89, and 94.  Even without the team's #1 and #2 golfers, Christian Bleck (St. James, N.Y./Chaminade ) and John Melandro (Shoreham, N.Y. /Shoreham-Wading River), the team was able to finish in 7th place at the invitational.

Up next, the team looks to continue their early success, as they head to Bethpage State Park to participate in the Farmingdale State Fall Invitational on Friday, September 26 at 11:00 a.m.