MEN'S GOLF: Saint Joseph's Wins GNAC Championship, Earns NCAA Spring Berth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Courtesy of SJC Athletics Communications

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Saint Joseph's College of Maine eclipsed the five-team field with a 646 (330-316) team card to claim the 2021-22 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Golf Championship at the New Haven Country Club on Tuesday afternoon. For the Monks, the GNAC Championship is the program's second and first since 2016.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's earns the GNAC's automatic qualifier into the 2022 NCAA DIII Tournament, which will be played at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida May 10-13 next spring.

Freshman Drew Mathieu (Windham, Maine) paced the Monks and the entire field with a 159 (81-78) card and claims GNAC Player and Rookie of the Year honors with the Medalist finish.

Going into the second and final day of the tournament, the Monks trailed defending GNAC Champion Albertus Magnus College by two strokes. But the two teams notched opposing 14-stroke swings on Tuesday, with the Monks shaving 14 shots to seal the victory while the Falcons tacked on 14 and finished with a 670 (328-342) collective score.

Dean College placed third with a 717 (360-357) score and Emmanuel College finished fourth (766, 381-385) while Elms College posted a DNF after shooting a 387 on day one.

MONKS SCORECARD:

• Mathieu shot a 159 (81-78) and shaved three strokes off his opening-18 card to claim Medalist honors by two shots
• Junior Sean McDonough (Concord, N.H.) placed third with a 162 (84-78)
• Senior Jake Laplume (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) was fifth with a 163 (82-81)
• Freshman Cade Buckley (Peabody, Mass.) shot a 166 (83-83) and finished eighth
• Junior Trevor Flanagan (Monmouth, Maine) placed ninth with a 167 (88-79) card

NOTEWORTHY:

• The Monks managed to clinch the victory with remarkable consistency on the second day, as the SJC quintet notched just six double-bogeys and three triple-bogeys while Albertus Magnus suffered 15 double and six triple bogeys on Tuesday
• Mathieu is the first SJC golfer to claim GNAC Player of the Year honors and second to earn GNAC Rookie of the Year accolades (Kevin Richardson '14)
• McDonough is just the second Saint Joseph's golfer to earn consecutive All-Conference honors and first since Richardson was named All-GNAC in 2012 and 2013
• The Monks paced the tournament in par-3 (3.55), par-4 (4.73), and par-5 (5.35) averages as well as par scores (72) and birdies (9); McDonough registered the only eagle in the tourney on the par-4 14th hole

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM:

• Drew Mathieu – Saint Joseph's – 159 (81-78); Medalist
• Ryan Sember – Albertus Magnus – 161 (79-82)
• Charles Kristofak – Albertus Magnus – 161 (77-84)
• Sean McDonough – Saint Joseph's – 162 (84-78)
• Jake Laplume – Saint Joseph's – 163 (82-81)

UP NEXT:
Saint Joseph's will compete in the UNE Invitational on Wednesday at the Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunkport, Maine, while the Monks and other GNAC programs will be in action on Sunday-Monday, Oct. 17-18 at the NEIGA Championship, played at the The Captains Golf Course in Brewster, Mass.