Southern New Hampshire has been selected by the league’s head coaches as the favorite to win the upcoming 2021 NE10 Men’s Golf Championship at the Concord Country Club (Concord, N.H.) on Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 5-6). The Penmen, who have won four NE10 titles in program history, will also serve as host of the Championship this fall. It is the first time since 2017 that SNHU has been selected atop the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll.
The NE10 Men's Golf Championship is scheduled for Tuesday, October 5, and Wednesday, October 6, in the form of a 36-hole tournament at the Concord Country Club in Concord, N.H. One round will be played on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Live scoring is available HERE.
#1 SO. NEW HAMPSHIRE
Southern New Hampshire enters the 2021 fall season as a heavy favorite, earning all nine first-place votes it was eligible to receive in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll before the 36-hole tournament is slated to begin on Tuesday. The Penmen, who will serve as the NE10 Championship host at the Concord Country Club, are led by head coach Matt Arvanitis in his 17th season with the program.
Senior Matt Conti has earned individual medalist honors in both tournaments that SNHU has competed in this fall, which includes the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational and Penmen Fall Invitational. Conti is a two-time NE10 Player of the Week this season after leading SNHU to a pair of team victories in both tournaments. He has three top-10 finishes in as many performances at the NE10 Men’s Golf Championship since 2018.
The Penmen last won an NE10 title in 2018 and have accounted for four all-time, including two under Arvanitis (also 2015).
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Matt Conti (76-75—151, Fourth-Place Finish)
#2 BENTLEY
Bentley is tied for second in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll with Le Moyne, the reigning league champion, at 66 points. The Falcons were picked atop the poll in the spring and went on to nearly capture the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional as a team, settling with a tie for fourth-place at the Lake View Country Club in North East, Pa.
Despite losing Tommy Ethier, the reigning NCAA Atlantic/East Regional individual medalist, to graduation, Bentley is one of the top choices to compete for the NE10 Championship this fall. The Falcons look to win their first NE10 title since 2017 and the sixth all-time in program history – three of which came under current head coach Mickey Herron.
This season, Bentley has placed third out of 14 teams at the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational and fifth out of 11 at the SNHU Penmen Invitational.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Matt Mackin (75-82—157, Tied for 15th-Place Finish)
#2 LE MOYNE
Le Moyne, the reigning NE10 champion, looks to repeat its performance from the spring season and once again claim the league championship. The Dolphins tallied 66 points in the Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll, tying for second-place with Bentley, while also receiving one first-place vote.
In the spring, head coach Joe Tesori – now in his 15th season - led his team to its first NE10 title since 2016 and its third overall in program history at the Springfield Country Club (Springfield, Mass.). All five golfers return who competed in the NE10 Championship during the spring, including Nicholas Bove, the defending individual medalist.
At the SNHU Penmen Invitational last week, Le Moyne placed third out of 11 to begin its quest to repeat as NE10 champion.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Nicholas Bove (74-73—147, First-Place Finish)
#4 ASSUMPTION
Assumption tied for fourth in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll, recording 55 points along with Franklin Pierce. The Greyhounds claimed the NE10 title in 2019 – its first in program history – and looks to continue building momentum from its finish at the Championship this past spring where they tied for second with the Ravens.
Head coach John O’Hara enters his fifth season with the program, which returns all five golfers who competed in the NE10 Championship this past spring. Assumption has finished in seventh as a team at both the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational and SNHU Penmen Invitational.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Sean Magarian (75-77—152, Tied for Fifth-Place Finish)
#4 FRANKLIN PIERCE
Franklin Pierce tied with Assumption for fourth-place in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll with 55 points – the same position it held leading into the 2021 spring championship. The Ravens finished tied for second in the league championship this past April, 11 shots behind NE10 champion Le Moyne.
Now in his ninth season, head coach Tyler Bishop returns just two of five players from the spring championship, but one of the two is Michael Sosik, who placed second overall – just one shot behind individual medalist Nicholas Bove of Le Moyne. The Ravens placed fifth out of 14 at the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational and sixth out of 11 at the SNHU Penmen Invitational.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Michael Sosik (73-75—148, Second-Place Finish)
#6 ADELPHI
Adelphi finished sixth in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll with 36 points, edging out Saint Anselm and American International. The Panthers look to regain some of their success from early in their NE10 tenure, which included four league titles in the span of five seasons (2009-10, 2012-13).
At the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational, Adelphi placed sixth out of 14 teams and junior Andrew Brunozzi won individual medalist honors – becoming the first Panther since 2017 to earn an individual title. The Panthers are led by head coach David Mattana in his first season with the program.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Did Not Compete.
#7 SAINT ANSELM
Saint Anselm placed seventh in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll with 34 points, as head coach Shaun Bishop enters his second season with the program. The Hawks finished seventh in the league championship this past spring and they return top scorer Drew Semons – a top-10 finisher – to lead the charge this fall.
At the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational, Saint Anselm placed 10th out of 14 teams, while finishing ninth out of 11 programs at the SNHU Penmen Invitational.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Drew Semons (75-79—154, Tied for Eighth-Place Finish)
#8 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
American International earned 30 points and finished eighth in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll. The Yellow Jackets finished eighth as a team in the league championship this past spring under interim head coach Joseph Auletta.
This fall, AIC has finished 10th out of 14 teams at the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational and eighth out of 11 teams at the SNHU Penmen Invitational.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Jarred Huggins and Michael Kays (77-81—158 and 79-79—158, Tied for 20th-Place Finish)
#9 SAINT ROSE
Saint Rose tallied 16 points for a ninth-place finish in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll. The Golden Knights, led by head coach Scott Warren in his 10th season, placed sixth in the NE10 Championship this past spring and return both of their top scorers. At the SNHU Penmen Invitational last week, Saint Rose finished 10th out of 11 teams.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Jack Manning (82-77—159, Tied for 24th-Place Finish)
#10 SAINT MICHAEL'S
Saint Michael’s recorded 11 points to finish 10th in the NE10 Men’s Golf Pre-Championship Poll. Head coach Jason Bedard returns for his 11th season and has led the Purple Knights in both the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational and SNHU Penmen Invitational this fall.
Top Returning Scorer from NE10 Championship (Spring 2021)
Declan Buckley (79-86—165, Tied for 34th-Place Finish)
Credits:
NE10 Men's Golf Institutions