The USM golf team matched up against the best college golf teams in the state this past Saturday in the Maine State Championship hosted by Thomas College at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro, ME. The Huskies proved their reputation as one of the top teams in the Pine Tree state as they notched a second place finish in the 11-team competition, tying their best finish thus far in the 2009 season. USM tallied a total of 658 points in the two-day event finishing behind overall team champion Husson University who turned in a total of 619.
Sophomore Zach Porter (Keene, NH) helped lead the Huskies as he handed in a team-best total of 162 in his two rounds of play. Porter shot an 83 on Friday and a 79 on Saturday to place ninth out of 53 golfers. Porter’s second round 79 marks his personal best this season.
Porter was accompanied by fellow teammates sophomore Brian Moskevich (Buxton, ME), sophomore Cody Berkowitz (Saco, ME), senior Ryan Daly (York, ME), and sophomore Dan Chadwick (Gorham, ME) as they rounded up the scoring for the Huskies. Moskevich and Daly finished 15th with a score of 165, Berkowitz turned in a solid 165, and Chadwick recorded a 171.
Husson was led by Kevin Byrne, who recorded a 149 (83-79) in his two rounds as the Eagles nabbed the first three individual spots in the Championship. USM beat out nine other Maine schools, including Bowdoin College who finished third at just a mere stroke behind the Huskies with a score of 659. The rest of the field was rounded out in order, by Colby College, Bates College, University of New England, UMaine Farmington, Thomas College, St. Joseph’s College, Southern Maine Community College, and UMaine Presque Isle.
The Huskies golf team is starting to get hot at the right time as they enter the homestretch before the GNAC Championship in Dartmouth, MA at the Allendale Country Club on Oct. 24 & 25. USM will finish up the USM Fall Classic at Sable Oaks Golf Course in South Portland on Monday, and will conclude their week on Friday competing in the Southern Maine Cup, also at Sable. The team will then travel to Orono on Oct. 6 to play in the Husson Invitational at Penobscot Valley Country Club, and also at the NEIGA Championship at the Captains Golf Course in Brewster, MA on Oct. 19 & 20 to cap off their 2009 regular season campaign.