Nov. 8, 2007
Bucknell showed it has the potential to defend its Patriot League Championship in the spring with three quality October performances to wrap up an impressive fall season. The Bison finished third out of 16 teams at the Scotty Duncan Memorial, second of 14 at the Hofstra Invitational, and second of nine at the Don Mershon Classic at Lehigh.
Navy, Lafayette and Colgate also recorded high finishes in the month of October. Bucknell senior Rahul Desai was named Patriot League Golfer of the Month.
Patriot League Golf Release - 11.8.07 
Golfer of the Month
Rahul Desai Sr., Avon, Conn.
Desai recorded a pair of top-three finishes to help lead Bucknell to two second-place finishes as a team in October. He shot 72-71 to place third at the Hofstra Invitational, and shot 81-70 to earn runner-up honors at the Don Mershon Classic at Lehigh. His 2-under 70 in the final round was the best in the field. Desai recorded a stellar overall fall campaign, finishing with a school-record 72.9 scoring average and placing second or third in five of his six starts.
Honorable Mention
Matt Krembel, Army Fr., Shalimar, Fla.
Krembel picked up his first top-five finish and second top-10 finish while leading the Black Knights in a pair of tournaments. He shot a final round 68 on his way to a tie for fifth place at the Skyhawk Fall Classic (72-78-68), and concluded the fall campaign with a tie for seventh (76-75-71) at the Sycuan Invitational in brutal conditions that included wind and nearby wild fires.
Patriot League Notes
Bucknell showed it has the potential to defend its Patriot League Championship in the spring with three quality October performances to wrap up an impressive fall season. The Bison finished third out of 16 teams at the Scotty Duncan Memorial, second of 14 at the Hofstra Invitational, and second of nine at the Don Mershon Classic at Lehigh.
The Bison nearly staged a huge rally at the Don Mershon Classic, where they finished ahead of Colgate, Lehigh and Lafayette. After shooting a 329 on the opening day and trailing by 21 strokes, the Bison turned in a 291 on day two to finish five strokes behind first-place Penn. The second day score was 16 strokes lower than any other in the tournament. Bucknell finished ahead of Navy and Lafayette at the Scotty Duncan Memorial.
Navy, Lafayette and Colgate also recorded high finishes in the month of October. The Midshipmen placed fourth out of 16 teams at the Scotty Duncan Memorial, where they turned in the second-lowest final round score with a 302 to finish two strokes behind Bucknell for third place. Lafayette placed second out of 15 teams at the Muhlenberg Invitational, and Colgate recorded a fourth-place finish at the Lehigh Invitational.
Patriot League golf teams are off until the spring season. The Patriot League Golf Championship is set for April 26-27 and will be hosted by Lehigh at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa.
Team Notebook
Army
Army competed in four tournaments in the fall, a dual match with Navy and hosted the Mulekicker Junior Fall Classic. The Black Knights placed eighth of 16 teams at the Skyhawk Classic and in 15th, ahead of Navy, at the Syucan Invitational in October. Freshman Matt Krembel led the team in scoring, averaging 74.1 strokes through 12 rounds. Sam Walenz was second on the squad with a 75.4 average in three events. Joey Cave finished second in the Mulekicker Junior Fall Classic, losing in a playoff after shooting a +2 74. Army begins its spring season in San Diego Feb. 18-19.
Bucknell
In seven fall events, Bucknell won one tournament, placed second three times, third once and fourth once. Rahul Desai (72.9), freshman Ben Mattingly (74.2) and senior Stuart Lindgren (74.8) all finished with sub-75 averages. Junior Brian Poe had two top-10 finishes in October (T6th at Hofstra, 10th at Lehigh). Sophomore Andrew Cohen was runner-up at the Scotty Duncan Memorial in Delaware Oct. 6-7, shooting 74-71. Bucknell had an amazing final round at the Don Mershon Classic - battling tough weather conditions, the team posted four scores of 74 or better, which represented the top four scores in the entire field. This fall the Bison went 13-1 against Patriot League competition.
Colgate
Ricky Hayes was the top golfer for Colgate in two of the three invitationals it competed in during the month of October. He had the best score of any Raider at the ECAC Championship, finishing 15th as the Raiders tied Holy Cross with a 10th-place finish in the 14-team event. Hayes also finished his fall successfully at the Don Mershon Classic, coming in sixth. He helped Colgate finish in fourth place, ahead of Lehigh and Lafayette.
Holy Cross
Senior Matt Czarnecki led the Crusaders in three of four events in October. He finished tied for third in the ECAC Championship, where the Crusaders tied Colgate with a 10th-place finish in the 14-team field. The Crusaders also finished 13th out of 42 teams at the NEIGA event, and 19th of 26 at the MacDonald Cup. Holy Cross narrowly lost a matchup with St. Anselm, 305-309.
Lafayette
Freshman Tyler Ostrovsky was the top finisher for Lafayette in four of the five events he competed in the fall. Ostrovsky posted an 18th-place finish at the Don Mershon Classic at Lehigh. The Leopards finished eighth at the Don Mershon Classic, and also recorded a 12th-place finish at the Scotty Duncan Memorial in Ocotber. They notched their highest finish of the fall with a second-place showing at the Muhlenberg Invitational.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks competed in two events in October, finishing 17th out of 26 teams in the Yale Invitational and in seventh place out of nine at their home Don Mershon Classic. Sophomore Steve Suarez shot a 153 to finish in fourth place overall, and second among Patriot League competitors, at the Don Mershon Classic. Bucknell, Colgate and Lafayette also competed in the event. Lehigh begins its spring season on March 24 at the George Washington Invitational.
Navy
The Midshipmen competed three times in October, and turned in an impressive fourth-place finish in the 16-team Scotty Duncan Memorial, placing ahead of Lafayette. They shot the second-lowest final round of the tournament with a 302. They were 11th out of 15 teams at the Big Five Classic, and 17th at the Syucan Collegiate Invitational.
