ECSU Men’s Golf Sits in Second After Day 1 of LEC Championships

Emily Rosenbluth | Sports Editor

Golfball placed on tee ready for tee off / Photo by 'amenic181', licensed by Envato.com.

Eastern Connecticut State University’s men’s golf team delivered a huge performance on home turf Tuesday, finishing Day 1 of the 2026 Little East Conference (LEC) Championship in second place at Mohegan Sun Golf Club.

Serving as tournament hosts, the Warriors put together a team score of 292 (+8) through the first 18 holes. That puts ECSU just five strokes behind leader in Southern Maine, who holds the top spot at 287 (+3). With 18 holes left to play, Eastern is right in the mix to make a real run at the conference title.

Western Connecticut State University sits a distant third at 306 (+22), followed by Rhode Island College (316, +32), VTSU Castleton (318, +34), and Keene State (319, +35) rounding out the six-team leaderboard.

The Warriors got a massive boost from the top of their lineup on Tuesday.  Evan Regan led the charge for Eastern, firing a sweet 71 (-1) to tie for third place overall in the individual standings. Regan looked dialed in all day, leaning on pinpoint iron play and clutch putting to stay near the top of the leaderboard.

Ethan McDaniel wasn't far behind him, putting together a super solid round of 72 (E) to grab sole possession of fifth place. McDaniel's composure on the back nine came up huge in keeping Eastern’s team score under double digits over par.

The rest of Eastern’s squad held its ground to keep the team in prime position. Ryan O'Donnell shot a steady 74 (+2) to tie for 10th, giving the Warriors three golfers inside the top ten. Jacob Carlson turned in a 75 (+3) to tie for 12th, while Drew Johnson rounded out

Eastern's starting five with a 78 (+6), placing him tied for 15th overall.

With just five shots separating Eastern from Southern Maine heading into the final round, the stage is set for an exciting finish. The Warriors will definitely be leaning on their home-course familiarity at Mohegan Sun as they hunt for a comeback victory, a conference championship, and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament.