BREWSTER, Mass. --  It was a true team effort as the Bentley University Falcons captured the 77th annual New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championships Tuesday at the Captains Golf Course by a single stroke over Bryant University, 606-607.

The New England championship was the first ever for the Falcons and came just 15 days after coach Mickey Herron's club earned the Northeast-10 Conference crown and an automatic berth to next May's NCAA Division II Super Regional tournament.  Bentley, which last cracked the top ten with an eighth-place finish in 1998, became the first Division II institution to capture the New Englands since Bryant in 1992.

Bentley golfers played a total of ten rounds in the tournament, and didn't have a single round higher than 77. They began Tuesday's final day in third place, four back of both Bryant and the College of Holy Cross, and turned in a final round total of 301.

Junior Matt Michel (Danvers/Danvers HS) led Bentley over the final 18, with his one-over 73 tied for the day's low round. For the tournament, he tied for sixth place with a 149 (76-73).

Senior Richie Powers (Leominster/Leominster HS) was a stroke back of Michel, tying for eighth place after firing back-to-back 75s.  Bentley's number three man was senior Nick Clarke (Plymouth/Cape Cod Academy), who tied for 17th with 77-76-153.

Rounding out the Bentley lineup were junior Dan McQueen (Topsfield/Masconomet Reg. HS) and freshman Quincy Coulter (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest HS).  They both tied for 22nd and each had a 77 for each round of the tournament.

A total of 34 teams participated in the tournament, with medalist honors going to Steven Zychowski of Holy Cross. His 71-75-146 gave him a one-stroke win over Kevin Daniels of American International.

The NEIGA Championships conclude the fall portion of the schedule for the Falcons.

77TH NEW ENGLAND INTERCOLLEGIATE GOLF ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Captains Golf Course, Brewster, Mass.

Final

Top 10 Teams: 1. Bentley 305-301-606, 2. Bryant 301-306-607, 3. UMass-Lowell 306-303-609, 4. Holy Cross 301-309-610, 5. Saint Anselm 314-303-617, 5. Salem State 308-309-617, 7. American International 312-307-619, 8. Husson 321-303-624, 9. Southern Maine 313-313-626, 9. Trinity 313-313-626.

Top Individuals: 1. Steven Zychowski, Holy Cross, 71-75-146; 2. Kevin Daniels, AIC, 71-76-147; 3. Andrew Fecteau, UMass-Lowell, 74-74-148; 3. Spencer Sweitzer, Bryant, 71-77-148; 3. Jackson Wyman, Endicott, 73-75-148.

Bentley Scores: t-6. Matt Michel, 76-73-149; t-8. Richie Powers, 75-75-150; t-17. Nick Clarke, 77-76-153; t-22. Quincy Coulter, 77-77-154; t-22. Dan McQueen, 77-77-154.