Mohnton, Pa. (Oct. 7, 2015) - Alvernia University grabbed a 3-0 lead over Albright College in the 11th Annual John Yocum Challenge Cup Wednesday afternoon at LedgeRock Golf Club.

JOHN YOCUM CHALLENGE CUP

The two teams will meet for six singles matches on Thursday at Berkshire Country Club to decide the cup.  Alvernia needs to earn two more points in singles matches to win the cup.  Albright needs 4.5 points to retain the cup.

Alvernia went up early in all three matches on Thursday and never trailed.  Senior Brett Fernandes and sophomore Keith Noonan got the Crusaders on the board first winning Match No. 1 3&2 over Albright's Sam Ignatuk and John Bulgia.  Noonan hit a wedge shot close enough for a conceded birdie on 3 for a 1-up lead.  Bulgia crushed a drive down the middle of the faiway on the par 5 eighth on his way to a birdie 4 that leveled the match.

Pars halved 9, 10, and 11 then Fernandes drove his ball to 15 feet on the 262-yard par 4 12th.  The other three had looks for birdie after short chip shots, but couldn't convert and Fernandes 2-putted for birdie and a win.  Noonan just missed birdie attempts on 13 and 14 that would have extended the lead, but was the only one in the group to make par of 15 for a 2-up lead.  Ignatuk and Bulgia both found hazard trouble of the tee at 16 and Fernandes 2-putted for par to close out the match.

Alvernia freshmen Tommy Godin and Callum McCaslin earned the second point of the day for the Crusaders with a 2&1 win over Vinny Marfisi and Dalton Mecke.

McCaslin put the Crusaders up with a par at the 185-yard par 3 fourth.  Godin made it back-to-back wins for the Crusaders with a birdie at 5.  His approach bounced over the back of the green and his chip rammed into the flagstick and dropped with the other three players still facing par putts.  The lead remained 2-up through 10 holes with all five holes 6 through 10 being halved with pars.

Godin nearly holed his approach on 11 setting up a tap-in birdie and a 3-up lead.  Pars halved 12, 13, and 14, and Marfisi was the only player to make par on 15 to bring the Lions back to 2-down.  Mecke hit his second shot on 16 over the back and chipped to about 40 feet while Godin blasted out of the greenside bunker to eight feet.  Mecke ran in the long par attempt setting up Godin who knocked in his putt to halve the hole and leave the Crusaders 2-up with two to play.

Godin and Mecke both parred the difficult, uphill par 4 17th, and the Crusaders earned their second point of the day.

In the third match, Zach Stricker and Lukas Murray teamed for a 3&1 win over Ben Foreman and Tyler Stricker.  Zach Stricker won the par 3 second with a par then stuff a wedge to two feet for birdie on 3 for another win.  Foreman made par for a win at 4, but Zach Stricker answered rolling in a downhill 8-footer for birdie at 5 and a 3-up lead.  The lead grew to 4-up through 8 when Zach Stricker birdied the par 5.

Foreman won 10 with a par and 13 with a bogie to cut the gap to 2-down with five to play.  Zach Stricker missed a short birdie putt on 14, but made par from the fairway bunker on 16 to extend the lead to 3-up with three to play.  Foreman's par won 16 with the sun all but set.  Foreman and Tyler Stricker both found the hazzard on approaches into 17 and Zach Stricker was greenside in two.  He chipped on and was conceded the putt for six and a win.

The Crusaders won three four ball points for the first time in the 11 year history of the cup and look to win the cup back Thursday for the first time since 2007.

Yocum Cup Day One (Four Ball Matches) LedgeRock Golf Club
Match 1: Brett Fernandes/Keith Noonan (Alv) def. Sam Ignatuk/John Bulgia (Alb) 3&2
Match 2: Tommy Godin/Callum McCaslin (Alv) def. Vinny Marfisi/Dalton Mecke (Alb) 2&1
Match 3: Lukas Murray/Zach Stricker (Alv) def. Ben Foreman/Tyler Stricker (Alb) 3&1