GROTON – Returning the top four players who competed in last May's NCAA Division III national championships, the Eastern Connecticut State University men's golf team opened its fourth intercollegiate season by winning the Mitchell College Invitational II championship Tuesday afternoon at Shennecossett Golf Course.
 
The winner of the two official Little East Conference championships the last two falls, Eastern  commanded five of the top eight spots Tuesday in totalling 297 strokes over the par-71, 6,562 yard layout – 31 better than runner-up Western Connecticut State University (also a member of the Little East Conference).
 
Playing without two of last year's top five in juniors Cal Angelo (Southington) and Matthew Orefice (Niantic), the Warriors were led by sophomore Jake Napolitan (Agawam, MA), who earned medalist honors with a two-over 73. Junior co-captain Chris Davidson (New Milford) shared place overall at plus-3, with senior All-America and co-captain Ashton Lewis (Fairfield) and sophomore Nick DiNino (Glastonbury) sharing fourth place at plus-4 and Ryan O'Donnell (Southington) finishing eighth at +7. O'Donnell is one of two first-year players on Eastern's 11-person roster.
 
Eastern competes at the Westfield State University Brett Williamson Invitational Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. at the Tekoa Country Club at Wesfield, MA. Eastern is the two-time defending tournament in the 11-team field, with Lewis last year's medalist with a two-under-par 69 – the only player to shoot under par. Mitchell College's Shamus McLean, who shared second place Tuesday with Eastern's Davidson, was second to Lewis at last year's Williamson Invite, finished three strokes back of the leade