Hoffman ninth at 2011 NEC Championship

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – With one round of action complete at the 2011 Northeast Conference Championships, senior Kyle Hoffman (Pawtucket, R.I.) sits tied for ninth-place overall amid the 55-golfer field in ChampionsGate, Fla., leading the five Bulldogs competing in Friday's opening round.

Hoffman's 74 left him just three strokes off the lead, and the senior's day included an eagle at hole 18. Right behind Hoffman tied for 18th is classmate Michael Pyne (Foxboro, Mass.), whose 76 knots him with a number of other golfers at four over par.

Alex Daley (Hudson, Mass.) sits just a single stroke back from Pyne with a round-one 77, tied for 24th along with teammate Brent Besch (Wallingford, Conn.). Senior Greg Najarian (Rumford, R.I.) will look to improve upon his 81 (+9), but still sits in the middle of the pack knotted in 39th place entering Saturday's round two action.

Sacred Heart's Josh Salah and Robert Morris's C.G. Mercatoris pace the field with identical scores of 71 and sit one under par. The Pioneers lead the team competition with a day one 295, just seven strokes over for the par-72 course. The score bests last year's tournament low (300).

The Bulldogs, who are competing only as individuals as they are ineligible to qualify for NCAA team play due to the four-year reclassification process, would have carded a 304 on the day. The score would have stood at third overall.

The tournament's second round is scheduled to begin Saturday with a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start, with the final round slated for Sunday, May 1.