BALTIC, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State University junior Ethan McDaniel (Orange) shot 3-under par on the back nine to rally into a tie for third place after the opening round of the 6^th Annual ECSU Fall Men's Golf Invitational at Mohegan Sun Golf Club Monday.
 
McDaniel, who came from way back on the second day a year ago to earn medalist honors at the Little East Conference Championships last fall, had three birdies and six pars on the par-36 back nine to after shooting 4-over 38 on the front nine.
 
Also in the Top 10 after the first day was sophomore Drew Johnson (Gloucester, MA), who was making his fall season debut. Like McDaniel, Johnson shot 4-over on the front nine before rallying to shoot 1-under on the back nine, recording an 18-hold first-day total of 3-over 73 and is locked in a four-way tie for seventh place.
 
After the first day, Eastern (300 points) stands in fourth place. Defending Little East champion University of Southern Maine (287) is first, with Albertus Magnus College (294) second  and Nichols College (296) third. Rounding out the field are Roger Williams University (307) fifth and Western Connecticut State University (320) sixth, the latter team also a member of the Little East.
 
The USM foursome of Jadon Poirier, Owen Moore, Alex Grant and Finn Sharpe were all in the Top 10 after Day 1, with Poirier (even-par) second, Moore (+2) and Grant (+2) tied for fifth and Sharpe (+3) tied for seventh. As freshmen last year, Poirier and Moore finished 2-3 behind McDaniel at the LEC Championships, McDaniel winning by three strokes as a sophomore playing his first season at Eastern.
 
Senior Cam Desante of Nichols leads the field 30-person field after shooting a 3-under 67, three strokes ahead of Poirier of Southern Maine. Desante was the only Nichols player in the Top 10, however, with senior teammate Jake Andreozzi tied for 13^th at 5-over 75. Desante shot 3-under 31 on the front nine and even-par 36 on the back. Desante had four birdies, and only one bogie on the front nine, birdieing No. 7 and No. 8 before closing by parring No. 9. His only bogey came on the par-4, 407-yard second hole.
 
Of the five Eastern players who competed when Eastern placed second at last fall's Warrior Invitational at Ellington Ridge Country Club, only junior Ryan O'Donnell (Southington) was among Monday's participants.
 
Behind McDaniel and Johnson, senior Jake Napolitan (Agawam, MA) is tied for 13^th at 5-over 75, with O'Donnell 24^th at 11-over 81 and, in his debut, first-year player Matt McManus (Hamden) tied for 25^th at 12-over 82. Originally scheduled to compete in the tournament, junior Nico Coloneri (New Milford) was unable to participate due to sickness.
 
The second and final day of the invitational gets underway at 9 a.m. Tuesday.