Reading, Pa. (Mar. 31, 2008) – Albright College won four of six singles matches and halved a fifth Monday afternoon at Berkshire Country Club to take the 3rd annual John Yocum Challenge Cup by a 6½ - 2½ final over Alvernia College.

Alvernia had won the first two cups, but found itself down 2-1 after day one for the first time and couldn't piece together a comeback. Albright No. 1 Mike Heller made three bogeys and a birdie to defeat Alvernia junior Derek Stewart (Bernville, Pa./Tulpehocken) 5-and-4, and Albright No. 4 Aaron VanDeursen avenged a day one loss beating Alvernia sophomore Jeremy Landis (Reading, Pa./Central Catholic) 4-and-3. Landis had closed to 1-down at the turn after trailing by two on three different occasions through the first nine holes and VanDeursen won three straight holes to build a comfortable lead.

Alvernia senior Doug McConnell (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) put the Crusaders on the board for the first time on day two with a 2-and-1 win over Brett Cybulski. McConnell was 1-down on four occasions but every time he answered with a win on the next hole to level the match. He took a 2-up lead with back-to-back pars on 13 and 14 and was 2-up with two to play after a par on the 174-yard par 3 16th. Both players bogeyed the par 4 17th pulling Alvernia to within 4-2 in the match with three matches still on the course.

Alvernia senior Ryan Weaber (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) was in the process of mounting a comeback in the match between No. 2s. He won the par 3 6th with a bogey to cut the 2-down gap in half and leveled the match with a birdie on seven. Both players pared eight and Albright freshman Matt Osorio made a 20-foot birdie putt from the fringe on nine to win the match.

Alvernia senior Ryan Rhodes (Sewell, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) was even with Albright senior Brett Lehman with two holes to play, but Lehman knocked down a 15-footer for par on four and won the match when both players doubled the par 4 5th.

Senior Cory McCuen (Chambersburg, Pa./St. Maria Goretti) held a 2-up lead for much of the match, but Dave Morano won holes one, two, and four to take a 1-up lead with one to play. Both players were green side in three on the par 4 5th, but Morano struggled from the green side bunker and McCuen won the hole to halve the match.

Alvernia will return to action at the Moravian Invitational Friday at Southmoore Golf Course.

3rd Annual John Yocum Challenge Cup
Day One – Reading Country Club (Sunday, Mar. 30)
Match 1 – Mike Heller/Erik Carl (Alb) def. Derek Stewart/Doug McConnell (Alv) 2-and-1
Match 2 – Ryan Weaber/Jeremy Landis (Alv) def. Matt Osorio/Aaron VanDeursen (Alb) 4-and-2
Match 3 – Dan O'Neill/Dave Morano (Alb) def. Ryan Rhodes/Jimmy Dolinger (Alv) 5-and-4

Day Two – Berkshire Country Club (Monday, Mar. 31)
Match 4 – Cory McCuen (Alv) halved Dave Morano (Alb) All Square
Match 5 – Brett Lehman (Alb) def. Ryan Rhodes (Alv) 1-up
Match 6 – Aaron VanDeursen (Alb) def. Jeremy Landis (Alv) 4-and-3
Match 7 – Doug McConnell (Alv) def. Brett Cybulski (Alb) 2-and-1
Match 8 – Matt Osorio (Alb) def. Ryan Weaber (Alv) 1-up
Match 9 – Mike Heller (Alb) def. Derek Stewart (Alv) 5-and-4