BREWSTER, Mass. – Two years after finishing first overall, the Bentley University Falcons captured the Division II title at the 79th annual New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championships, which concluded Monday at the Captains Golf Course.

Leading the Falcons to the championship was junior Jon Stoddard (Duxbury/Duxbury HS), who finished sixth overall in a field of nearly 200 golfers and was the tournament's Division II medalist.

Bentley, sixth overall in the 38-team tournament, totaled a second-round 312 to finish the tournament at 620, missing a top-five finish by just a single stroke. Coach Mickey Herron's squad claimed the Division II championship by four strokes over seventh-place Franklin Pierce University.

Stoddard, who was also the Division II leader after the opening round, followed up on Sunday's 73 with a four-over 76 to finish at 149. He finished the fall season with a sparkling 74.0 average and was joined on the Division II All-New England team by sophomore teammate Malcolm Oliver (Damariscotta, Maine/Lincoln Academy).

Oliver matched Stoddard's second-round 76 and finished in a tie for 37th overall at 77-76-153. Sophomore Tommy Ayres (Bolton/Nashoba Reg. HS) and Jack Zierolf (Fairfield, Conn./Warde HS) were next on the scoring list for the Falcons with Ayres tying for 45th with a 76-82-158 and Zierolf tying for 64th following a second-round 78 that gave him a 160.

Central Connecticut State captured the overall championship by three strokes over the University of Rhode Island, 597-600. The Blue Devils also had the medalist with Monte Mullen besting URI's Joseph Leavitt on the second playoff hole after both finished with a one-under 143.

The New Englands concludes a successful fall for the Falcons, one that included two tournament championships (Northeast Challenge, Dominican Charger Invitational) and a second-place showing in the Northeast-10 Championships.

NEW ENGLAND INTERCOLLEGIATE GOLF ASSOCIATION
At Captains Golf Course, Brewster
Final

Top Teams: 1. Central Connecticut State 288-309-597, 2. Rhode Island 297-303-600, 3. Bryant 298-313-611, 4. Western New England 300-316-616, 5. Husson 311-308-619, 6. Bentley 308-312-620, 7. Franklin Pierce 315-309-624, 7. Southern Maine 308-316-624, 9. Providence 303-325-628, 10. Wagner 306-323-629, t-18. Assumption 322-322-644, t-21. Saint Rose 314-333-647, t-21. Southern New Hampshire 327-320-647, t-24. Saint Anselm 326-323-649, 28. American International 320-334-654, 32. St. Michael's 335-343-678.

Top Individuals: 1. Monte Mullen, Central Connecticut, 70-73-143 (won playoff); 2. Joseph Leavitt, URI, 71-72-143; 3. Bill Hutchins, Husson, 74-72-146; 4. Patrick Donahue, Western N.E., 72-75-147; 5. William Walthouse IV, URI, 73-75-148.

Bentley Scores: t-6. Jon Stoddard, 73-76-149; t-37. Malcolm Oliver, 77-76-153; t-45. Tommy Ayres, 76-82-158; t-64. Jack Zierolf, 82-78-160; t-110. Harry Kirkpatrick, 83-83-166.