Men's Golf Wins Connecticut Cup Title

The University of Hartford men's golf team posted a combined score of 291 in the final round of the Connecticut Cup at the Ellington Ridge Country Club to hold off the field and win the team championship. The Hawks, who paced the field heading into Tuesday's final round, won the title by a four-stroke margin over runner-up Rhode Island.

Hartford entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over the field. With a score of 591 carried over from two rounds on Monday, the Hawks finished with a score of 882, holding off Rhode Island and Fairfield, which each posted scores of 290 on the final 18 holes.

The team championship is the second first-place finish for the Hawks in their last three tournaments after winning the Hartford Hawk Invitational September 25. The win marks the first time since the 2006-07 season that the Hawks have won two tournaments as a team in the same academic year.

A trio of Hawks shot even-par rounds of 72 on the final day of the Connecticut Cup with freshman Evan Russell leading the way. Russell finished the tournament with a score of 215 (-1). Russell shot par or better in each of the tournament's three rounds to finish tied for fourth in the individual standings.

Sophomore Dan Yustin and junior Pat Ross also carded 72 on Tuesday. Yustin finished tied for 16th in the standings with a 54-hole score of 221 while Ross jumped 11 spots in the standings on the final day, finishing tied for 22nd at 223 for the tournament. Sophomore Wally Gonzalez finished in a tie for 31st with a score of 225. Gonzalez finished the tournament tied in the individual standings with classmate Anthony Vecchiarelli, who was playing in the tournament as an independent.

William Betts, a freshman from Leechburg, Pa., rounded out the Hawk lineup with a 76 on Tuesday, one stroke behind Gonzalez and Vecchiarelli at 226 over three rounds. Betts also tied in the standings with an independent teammate as junior Addison Owens finished in a tie for 38th overall at 226 over 54 holes. Owens notched a final-round 74, his best round as a Hawk.