2011 MSOE men's golf preview
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Published: 09/02/2011 |
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Expectations continue to be high for the MSOE men's golf team as they attempt to the make the NCAA Championship for the second straight season and the third time in four years. The Northern Athletics Conference men's golf coaches picked the Raiders to win this year's title. Last season, they became the first team in MSOE history to make the NCAA tournament twice and this year's team will be looking to do it again.
"I know the ones that are coming back want to go back to the NCAA," said head coach Joe Meloy. "They found out that we are pretty competitive. We just need a little more help to get the big boys. We found we could make a big comeback."
Senior Dane Zachman will be leading the way once again for the Raiders. Zachman was spectacular last year as he was the medalist at the NAC Spring Automatic Qualifier meet and tied for first at the NAC Championship last fall. He had the best 18-hole average in the NAC last season at 75.6 in 25 rounds.
"He's always been All-Conference," Meloy said about Zachman. "I think he's going to be really tough this year."
Last spring, MSOE trailed Edgewood by ten strokes heading into the two-day NAC Spring AQ meet.
"It was terrible weather," Meloy said. "I said, 'we are going embrace this weather.''
That is exactly what the Raiders did as picked up 19 shots on the Eagles during the two-day event last spring to finish eight strokes ahead of Edgewood. The scores from the spring event and the NAC Championship determine the conference's representative in the NCAA Championship. MSOE finished 25th at the 2011 NCAA Championship with Zachman as the top man for the Raiders who tied for 34th.
"Everyone had a great time," Meloy said. "The tournament is run very, very well like a pro tournament. There's scoreboards all over. They announce your name on the first tee. You can see what MSOE is doing at different points in the course. Everything was done first class. From banquets to the pictures to the course which was terrific. It's just a great experience to go every time."
In addition to Zachman, juniors Keenan Quick (Dousman, Wis./Mukwonago), Zachary Teague (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore), Dan Wagner (Delafield, Wis./Kettle Moraine) and Nick Waino (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee), sophomores Mitch Kaiser (Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell Central), Scott Loftus (Germantown, Wis./Germantown) and Victor Aiello (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) will all be working toward the goal of returning to the NCAA Championship.
The Raiders begin their season at the Edgewood College Fall Classic Sept. 2-3 in Janesville, Wis. at Glen Erin Golf Course. The MSOE Invitational will take place Oct. 2-3 at Grand Geneva in Lake Geneva, Wis.
"I'm looking forward to the season," Meloy said. "I hope to see some of these guys play better than they have in the past and I expect that they will."
The NAC Championship is Oct. 9-10 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.
