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OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine -- The University of New England carded a team score of 327 to advance to the 2022 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Men's Golf Championship, as the 18-hole qualifying round was contested by eight teams on Thursday (Sep. 16) at Dunegrass Golf Club.

Behind a sparkling 3-under-par 69 from Colby Mitchell, Nichols College won the day with a 319 total and will now host the two-day final that starts April 30. Joining the Bison will be Endicott College (321), the Nor'easters, and Suffolk University (338). On the outside looking in was reigning CCC champion Western New England University (340), which had reached the conference final every year since the 2013-14 change from an invitational to the current championship format.

UNE was the second-most consistent squad, top-to-bottom, ranging 10 strokes between its five players (behind only Wentworth). Even more so within the scoring numbers, which were provided by Tom Higgins (80), Marcus Costa (81), Jake Mielcarz (81), and Jack Sicurella (85). Higgins, who led the field in par-3 scoring (2.80), was 6th out of 40, while Costa and Mielcarz shared 7th.

It is the fourth time in eight tries that the Nor'easters have qualified; UNE made the top four in 2019-20, only to see the finals canceled, and last season the qualifier was canceled as all teams went directly to the finals site.

Ending as individual runner-up to Mitchell was Nick Grimbilas of Endicott, firing a 75.

The Nor'easters will visit Waterville Country Club on Sunday for the University of Maine-Farmington Invitational.