Bellport, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Men's Golf team closed play during the 2021 Fall Season on Friday with a second place at the St. Joseph's-L.I. Invitational. The Knights, who finished with a team score of 342, were the top finisher among three Skyline Conference rivals with Patrick Shea (Warwick, N.Y.) leading the way in a tie for fifth place.
 
Shea closed out a stellar Fall season as the Mount's lead finisher, making his way around the par-71 Bellport Golf Club in an eight-over par 79. Shea finished six strokes off the lead and in a three-way tie for fifth with Justin Dubler from Old Westbury and Alex Ramos from Aldephi.
 
"Pat was our team leader, both on and off the golf course. Through all this pandemic craziness Patty was our team's rock. He performed on the golf course with a great season scoring average and helped us pull off some great finishes. He was really my extra eyes and ears all season. He really took his game to a higher level and I can't tell you really how proud of him I truly am.. He was absolutely our team MVP.," commented Head Coach Andy Crane at the conclusion of Friday's round.  
 
Matthew Ropiak (Staten Island, N.Y.) also turned in a strong round for the Knights on Friday, carding an 86, good for 12^th place overall in a field of 27 golfers. John Del Bene (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) finished a stroke behind Ropiak, finishing in a tie for 13^th after finished the round in 87 strokes.
 
Chris Shea (Warwick, N.Y.) and Owen Gallagher (Watertown, Mass.) completed the Mount's lineup on Friday in 18^th and a tie for 19^th, respectively. Shea rounded out the day with a 90 with Gallagher finishing two strokes behind with a 92.
 
Division II Adelphi won the team event with a score of 302, with the Knights following in second, seven strokes clear of both St. Joseph's-L.I. and Old Westbury.
 
"I'm proud of our guys and how we bounced back this week off the conference championship. We had two runner-up finishes this week, though I really look at today as a win. We might have been second on the leaderboard but we really were first in class. Bellport Country Club is such a wonderful golf course and really playing here was a great way to end our fall season. It was great to feel we really had a "real" season again, I know the kids started to get a little feel of normalcy again playing as much as we did," said Crane.