NORTH EAST, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's golf team posted a team score of 314 to place third out of 10 teams at their annual Invitational at the Lake View Country Club in North East, Pa. on Monday afternoon.
Grove City won the tournament with a 305 total and had two individuals place second and third after tying for first place with a low score of 73 (one over par). Thiel finished second behind a team score of 308 and the Lions shot +26 for 314 on the day.
Nicholas VanDamia (Erie, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) was the top finisher for Behrend, carding a 75 for fourth overall. He birdied a hole on the front nine (37) and one on the back (38) to land in the top five. Dante Vetica (Hermitage, PA/Kennedy Catholic) was also in the Top 10. He was two strokes behind VanDamia with a 77 (40-37).
Scott Klein (Fairview, PA/Fairview) birdied back-to-back holes on the front nine for a 37, before carding a 43 on the back to end with an 80 and tie for 16th overall. Casey Courneen (Sewickley, PA/Quaker Valley) was fourth on the team and tied for 20th overall with an 82 for his first collegiate golf outing. He tallied a 41 on the way out and the way back.
Ryan Matlock (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) was the fifth golfer for the Lions and tied for 24th with an +11 for an 83.
Behrend's second group of five golfers took fourth overall with a team score of 326. Sean Sculley (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) tied Vetica for second on the squad with a 77. He earned a 38 on the front nine holes and added another stroke on the back with a 39.
Dan Corbin (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) tied for 13th with a 79. He started with a 37 on the back nine and finished with a 42 on the front. Brian Ropiecki (North East, PA/North East) totaled an 84 to tie for 28th and Alex Shindledecker (Erie, PA/McDowell) tallied an 86 (T33). Brad Cypher (Evans City, PA/Seneca Valley) completed the team with an 87.
Individually, Nolan Pike (Corry, PA/Corry) and Cody Stinson (Erie, PA/Harbor Creek) played for the Lions. Stinson led with an 84 and Pike earned a 95 in his first collegiate meet.
Behrend returns to action tomorrow at the La Roche Invitational.
