AIC INVITIONAL CHAMPS: (l-r)  Mike Plansky, Ellis Yoder, Tommy Ethier, Chris Simione, Doug Kulikowski, Robert Falconer
AIC INVITIONAL CHAMPS: (l-r) Mike Plansky, Ellis Yoder, Tommy Ethier, Chris Simione, Doug Kulikowski, Robert Falconer

Ethier, Falconer Lead Bentley to AIC Invitational Championship

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Led by tournament medalist Tommy Ethier (Nashua, N.H./Bishop Guertin HS) and junior Robert Falconer (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS), the Bentley University Falcons captured the American International College Invitational with a second-round 289 at the Veterans Golf Course Sunday.

Bentley finished the ten-team tournament with a two-day total of 589, good for a four-stroke margin of victory over day-one leader St. Thomas Aquinas College. Assumption College followed in third place (595).

The tournament victory was the first for Ethier as a collegian with the sophomore finishing two-under-par with a 69-73-142. His score was two strokes better than runner-up Travis Fay of St. Thomas Aquinas, who turned in a 73-71-142.

Falconer tied for fifth place after firing a four-under 68 during Sunday's second round. He struggled with a 79 on Saturday before rebounding with a career-best effort, a score that vaulted him 24 places in the standings.

Coach Mickey Herron also received a strong showing from senior Chris Simione (Cheshire, Conn./ Cheshire HS) as he tied for eighth with a 75-73-148. Sophomore Ellis Yoder (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead HS) also had a solid weekend, tying for 16th with a 77-75-152.

This was the final event for Bentley before the Northeast-10 Conference Championships next Sunday and Monday in Endicott, N.Y.