COMPETITION: Saint Peter's at Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate
WHEN: Sun-Mon, Sept. 6-7, 2015 (two rounds on first day)
WHERE: Kaluhyat Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort, Verona, N.Y.
SAINT PETER'S PARTICIPANTS: Nicholas Dilio, Dominic Diaz, Jose Cardona, JD Moore, Mike Winter
COMPETING TEAMS: Alabama State, Binghamton, Boston College, Cleveland State, Grand Canyon, Hartford, Loyola, Missouri, Northern Kentucky, Sacred Heart, Saint Peter's, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia, Xavier
2014 Team Champion: Missouri (300-285-285=870)
2014 Individual Champion: Ryan Zech (74-69-70=213)
opening tee… The two-time defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Golf Champions will open up the 2015-16 slate at the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate on Sunday and Monday. The Peacocks will be one of 15 teams at the season-opening event.
last time at that event… Brian Grubbs finished 17th to lead the Saint Peter's men's golf team to a seventh-place standing at the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate on Sept. 1, 2014. After posting an 81 in the first round, Grubbs carded a 75 on the first day and a 73 on the second day to post a three-round score of 229 to place 17th and finish 16 strokes behind the medalist. Eric Edmunds also posted a 73 on the afternoon to finish one stroke behind Grubbs with a 230 in 21st place. Dominic Diaz posted a team-best 71 in the final round to tie Edmunds in the three-day tournament in 21st place with a 230 while Brandon Molson (53rd place, 251) also competed in all three rounds for the Peacocks. The quartet each improved on their scores in the three rounds. Nicholas Dilio notched the best opening round for the team with a 79, but then withdrew from the competition in the second round due to an illness. Saint Peter's posted a 326 in the first round and a 307 in the second round before notching a 298 in the final round to post a three-round score of 931 to finish in seventh place.
next time on the green… Saint Peter's heads to the Rutgers Invitational on Sept. 11-12.
returning champions… Saint Peter's is the two-time defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Golf champions. Unlike the 2014-15 season when the Peacocks returned every player from its first championship run, the squad lost three players for the 2015-16 season. Senior Nicholas Dilio, who finished tied for the three-round low score before losing in a playoff at last year's championship, and junior Dominic Diaz are the only two players that return from the starting five of both the MAAC championship team from Florida and the five that participated in the New Haven NCAA Regional. Senior Steven Competiello participated in the MAAC Championship in 2013-14.
welcome to the flock… Saint Peter's head coach Pete Falloon has added freshmen Jose Cardona, JD Moore and Mike Winter to the team in 2015-16 and the trio is set to make their debut at the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate on Sunday.
not from the 50 states… Freshman Jose Cardona is the only player on the roster not to hail from one of the 50 states. The freshman hails from Puerto Rico, which is considered a United States territory and not a separate country. Cardona is the first player not connected to one of the 50 states since Andrew Gain in 2013, who came from Australia and served as an assistant coach for the last two seasons at the MAAC Championships.
aye, aye captain… Senior Nicholas Dilio and junior Dominic Diaz serve as team captains for the 2015-16 campaign.
welcome back… Chris Merce returns to Saint Peter's as an assistant coach in 2015-16. Merce, who served as the head coach at Iona for the last two years and an assistant for one campaign, served as an assistant coach under head coach Pete Falloon for four seasons from 2008-12. Merce graduated in 2008 from Saint Peter's.
about the coach… Head coach Peter Falloon is in his eighth season at the helm of the men's golf team. He is a 1965 graduate and was a member of the 1964 undefeated squad that won the MECCA Championship. He was named the Saint Peter's Student-Athlete of the Year in 1965. Falloon was named the MAAC Coach of the Year in 2012 and has won the award three times in the last four years after guiding the program to its first two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles in the last two campaigns.
