WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State sophomore Matteo Godek (Agawam HS/Feeding Hills, Mass.) took home co-medalist honors while leading the Westfield State Owls men's golf team to the 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference men's golf team title at the Blackstone National Golf Club in Sutton, Mass.
Godek finished with a 5-over par 77 on the 6,655 yard championship course to tie for top honors with Salem State's Eric Powers.
Westfield State finished with a team score of 319, which tied with Salem State. But the Owls edged the Vikings by four strokes as they went to the cards of the fifth member of each team. The Owls' Garrett Desmond (Beverly, Mass.) was four strokes better than Salem's Christian McKenna.
Conditions were tough at Blackstone.
"The course was soaked," said Owls' senior co-captain Nick Eliopoulos (Lynnfield, Mass.) who finished with an 81. "Then the fog rolled in late in the round, making it hard to see on a couple of holes."
Godek took advantage of the lift, clean and place rules in effect, as he missed just one fairway on the day and hit 15 greens. He chipped in for birdie on his first hole of the day (the par 5 second hole, with the tournament's shotgun start). He also birdied the short par five eighth, cutting the corner with driver and reaching the green with an eight iron. He shot 1-over 37 on the front nine and 4-over-40 on back nine, and capped his steady round with three straight pars to finish.
Owls' junior Ryan Koczela (Bridgewater, Mass.) was just one stroke off the pace with a round of 78. Freshman J.J. Newcombe (Blackstone Valley Tech/ Bellingham, Mass.) fired an 83, and while Desmond (who won the Owls spring tournament last April) didn't have his best day with an 89, his score was good enough to give the Owls the team crown.
Godek becomes the second Owl in the last three years to win the individual title, as Mike Sarkis '18 won the tournament in 2016. The Owls claimed their first team title since 2013. Westfield State will host the 2019 MASCAC Championship tournament at the Ranch Golf Club in Southwick, Mass.