BREWSTER, Mass. – Eastern Connecticut State University and senior All-America Ashton Lewis (Fairfield) began their quest for team and individual championships, respectively, on the first day of the 88^th Annual New England Intercollegiate Golf Championships Saturday at The Captains Course.
 
Last year, Eastern finished seventh as a team (matching its finish from 2021), 25 shots behind champion Babson College in a 23-team field. Individually, Lewis finished a shot off the pace behind medalist Sean McGarrity of Middlebury College with a 36-hole total of 2-under 142.
 
After 18 holes on the first day Saturday, the Warriors are in a tie for third place in the 19-team field, having shot a combined 20-over par 308, ten strokes behind leader Husson University. Individually, Lewis shares first place with Little East Conference rival Zach Ellsworth, a senior from the University of Southern Maine. Lewis was two shots off his first-day total of a year ago, having shot one-under 71 last fall. Last weekend, Lewis won his third LEC individual championship hosted by the Southern Maine with a one-over 141 at Riverside Country Club in Portland ME. Ellsworth was seventh overall at the LEC, 13-over 153 and 12 strokes behind Lewis.
 
Behind Husson (10-over par) after the first round, Bates College (18-over) is second and Endicott College (20-over) shares third place with Eastern. Of those three teams, only Endicott finished ahead of Eastern last year. The Gulls were sixth. Husson was 14^th a year ago and Bates 15^th.
 
Choosing not to compete this year among teams which finished ahead of Eastern a year ago were 1-through-5 finishers Babson College and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) members Middlebury College, Amherst College, Tufts University and Williams College. Babson, however, is competing on an individual basis.
 
Joining Lewis, a co-captain, from Eastern at the championship are junior co-captain Chris Davidson (New Milford), junior Matthew Orefice (Niantic), sophomore Jake Napolitan (Agawam, MA) and first-year walk-on Nico Coloneri (New Milford). Davidson shares 25^th place in the 102-player field at six-over 78, Orefice shares 34^th place seven-over 79, Napolitan tied for 40^th at eight-over 80, and Coloneri 102^nd at  64-over 136. Coloneri earned a spot this weekend after firing a nine-over 81 and finishing in a tie for fourth overall at this past weekend's Eastern Invitational at Tumble Brook Country Club in Bloomfield.

Lewis had a birdie and eight pars on the front nine and had three (straight) birdies, three pars and three bogies on the back nine for a 1-under 71 after 18 holes.
 
From last year's championship, only Davidson competed a year ago when he shot 22-over 166 as Eastern's fifth finisher. From last year behind Lewis was Jonah Dupuis, current junior Cal Angelo (Southington) and Andrew Gromko. Dupuis did not compete this year, Angelo is injured and Gromko graduated (and is serving as an assistant coach).
 
In addition to Lewis, the other returning players to the championship this year after Top 10 finishes a year ago are Colby Mitchell of Nichols, who is tied for sixth at two-over 74, Will Pierce of Endicott,  who is tied for 40^th at 8-over 80, and Jason Lee of Babson, who is tied for 56th at 10-over-82 Last year, Lee tied for seventh, and Mitchell and Pierce tied for ninth.
 
The tournament concludes with 18 holds Sunday beginning at 8:30 a.m., with Eastern five golfers teeing off beginning at 10 a.m.