April 2, 2008

Center Valley, Pa. - Patriot League teams have already begun to get acquainted with each other this spring, and April's schedule will feature plenty of competition between League teams leading up to the Patriot League Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. from April 26-27.

Patriot League Golf Release - 4.2.08

Patriot League March Golfer of the Month

Ricky Hayes, Colgate Sr., Ridgefield, Conn.

Hayes receives his second Golfer of the Month award of the year after leading all Patriot League participants with a seventh place finish out of 105 total golfers at the George Washington Invitational. He began the event by shooting a 78 in round one, and notched a 3-under 69 in the second round to match a career best. Hayes concluded the weekend with a 38 on nine holes on the final day to finish with a score of 185 in the 45-hole event.

Hayes has been the top Colgate golfer in five of the six events the Raiders have competed in this year, including the fall season. He previously received Patriot League Golfer of the Month recognition in September.

March Patriot League Honorable Mention Performances

Rahul Desai, Bucknell Sr., Avon, Conn.

Desai, who earned Golfer of the Month honors in October, finished just one shot behind Hayes and in eighth place in the George Washington Invitational. He fired a 72 on the first day and a 75 on day two, while closing with a 39 on the final nine holes. Desai's performance helped Bucknell to a fifth-place finish out of 20 teams. Desai has finished in the top eight in six of his seven starts including the fall season.

Patriot League Notebook

Spring in Full Swing, Patriot League Championship Coming Up

Patriot League teams have already begun to get acquainted with each other this spring, and April's schedule will feature plenty of competition between League teams leading up to the Patriot League Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. from April 26-27.

Navy came out as the top squad out of five Patriot League teams at the George Washington Invitational on March 21-22. The Mids placed third overall out of 20 teams in the field, while Bucknell finished fifth, Lehigh came in 13th, Colgate was 16th and Lafayette placed 20th.

Two other tournaments featured a pair of Patriot League teams in March. At the First Market Bank Intercollegiate from March 17-18, Bucknell came in ninth and Army placed 15th out of 19 teams. The Black Knights came out ahead of rival Navy at the Lacrosse Homes Collegiate from March 29-30, as they placed sixth out of 19 teams while the Midshipmen finished ninth.

Every weekend in April will feature a tournament with multiple Patriot League teams in the field. Holy Cross, Colgate and Lafayette will all compete in the Yale Spring Opener from April 5-6. Lafayette and Navy will host invitationals on the next two weekends, with Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh joining the Leopards in Center Valley, Pa. from April 12-13 and all four of those teams competing along with the Midshipmen in Annapolis, Md. from April 18-19. 

All seven teams will vie for the Patriot League Championship on the final weekend of April. Bucknell was selected this week as the favorite to win its third crown in a row through a vote by head coaches and sports information directors. Navy was picked second, followed by Army, Lehigh, Colgate, Holy Cross and Lafayette.

Team Notebooks

Army - The Black Knights have already competed in four tournaments in the spring, and have two more to go before the Patriot League Championship. Army finished eighth out of 11 teams at the Carlton Oaks Collegiate and fourth of nine at the Birmingham Southern Invitational on Feb. 25-26. They were 15th of 19 teams at the First Market Bank Intercollegiate from March 17-18, and placed a strong sixth of 19 at the Lacrosse Homes Collegiate on March 29-30. They were three shots ahead of Navy in the latter tournament. Army was picked to finish third in the Patriot League Championship poll. Freshmen Matt Krembel leads the team with a 75.6 stroke average. Army competes in the Pala Mountain Classic and Mount St. Mary's Invitational as final tune-ups for the League Championship on April 26-27.

Bucknell - Bucknell opened its spring schedule with a fifth-place showing out of 20 teams at the George Washington Invitational on March 21-22. They were second out of five Patriot League teams in the field. Rahul Desai finished eighth in the field of 105, and was second among Patriot League golfers. Bucknell will face plenty of League competition in its next two events, with Colgate, Lehigh, Lafayette and Navy in the fields at the Lafayette and Navy Invitationals. The Bison were selected by head coaches and sports information directors to win their third consecutive League title.

Colgate - Ricky Hayes picked up where he left off in the fall by finishing seventh out of 105 golfers at the George Washington Invitational. Hayes shot a 185 in the 45-hole event to finish as the top Patriot League golfer among five League teams. He notched a 69 in the second round, a 3-under performance that matched a career best. Colgate returns to action in the Yale Spring Opener, Lafayette Invitational and Navy Invitational in the next three weeks leading up to the Patriot League Championship. The Raiders will be in a field with every Patriot League team but Army before the Championship.

Holy Cross - The Crusaders began the spring season by finishing seventh of eight teams at the Ft. Lauderdale Classic on March 7-8. They have plenty of action in the next two weeks, competing in the Lou Flumere Invitational, Yale Spring Opener and New England Division I Championship before taking a week off prior to the Patriot League Championship

Lafayette - The Leopards opened the spring by competing in the George Washington Invitational from March 21-22. They will be in a tournament with every Patriot League team except Army in advance of the League Championship on April 26-27, competing in the Yale Spring Opener, Lafayette Invitational, Navy Invitational and Lehigh Valley Collegiate.

Lehigh - The Mountain Hawks opened the spring with a 13th-place finish at the George Washington Invitational. Will Robinson was the team's top finisher in 29th place. Lehigh competes in the Lafayette Invitational, Navy Invitational and Lehigh Valley Collegiate before the Patriot League Championship. The Mountain Hawks will see Bucknell, Colgate, Lafayette and Navy in the fields.

Navy - The Midshipmen were the top Patriot League team at the George Washington Invitational. They finished third of 20 teams in the overall field, and led the way among the five Patriot League schools. Erich Schoen finished in ninth place out of 105 golfers in the 45-hole event with a score of 187. Navy also finished in ninth out of 19 teams at the Lacrosse Homes Collegiate. The Mids play in the NC State Intercollegiate from April 11-13, then welcome a field that includes Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh and Lafayette at the Navy Invitational from April 19-20. Navy was picked to finish second in the Patriot League Championship in a poll by coaches and sports information directors.