Tommy Stirling of Gorham spent almost every day this past summer at the golf course perfecting his game.

So when he dropped down to just 18 holes a week as a freshman at Southern Maine Community College, he wasn’t sure how his game would take it.

Turns out, just fine.

Stirling became the first golfer in SMCC history to qualify for a national tournament. He finished sixth overall at the USCAA National Golf Tournament last week in State College, Pa., with a 2-over-par 74, and is shooting to reach the tournament again next year.

“It really was a great experience. One of the best ones of my life,” said Stirling, who was joined by his father, Craig Stirling, on the trip. “We were the Stirling duo. The SMCC team picture was me and my dad.”

Stirling developed into a standout golfer late in his high school career and said he’s learned a considerable amount at SMCC.

Stirling is pursuing an associate degree in electrical engineering technology. His classes run until 5:15 p.m. Monday to Thursday, leaving Friday as his only practice day.

“Tommy is the kind of player who needs to play a lot to play well,” said first-year Coach Jay Pecora. “He was playing so well this summer then learned how to score without playing a lot. He’s so smart as a golfer. But if he could practice three, four days a week like everyone else he would’ve been that much better.”

Stirling said his mental approach in particular has gotten stronger.

“You have to keep it positive on the course if you want to get the score you want,” said Stirling. “(Coach Pecora) really worked on the mental part of it with me. During our practices we’re both really competitive and want to beat each other. It was always a good match.”

Stirling is in talks with Pecora and SMCC Athletic Director Matt Richards to pursue starting spring golf at the school later this academic year.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE

Josh Hogan of Falmouth shot a final-round 77 on Tuesday to lead the Huskies at the 76th annual New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Championships held this week at the Captains Golf Course in Brewster, Mass.

The team has one event remaining this fall: the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship in Providence, R.I., on Oct. 30-31.

• Tim Even helped the men’s cross country team to a third-place finish out of 10 teams at the Maine State Collegiate Championship hosted at Bowdoin last weekend.

Even was the Huskies’ top runner, finishing the 5-mile course in 26 minutes, 37 seconds. The team will next compete at the Little East Conference and New England Alliance Championship on Oct. 30 in Worcester, Mass.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

The 11-4 women’s soccer team needs one more win to clinch an opening-round game in the Commonwealth Coast Conference playoffs. The team has two games left: Saturday vs. Nichols at home, and next week at Eastern Nazarene.

n Senior Meryl Poulin of Cape Elizabeth scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season against Colby College in a 1-0 nonconference field hockey win.

The Nor’easters are 9-5 overall, 6-1 in the TCCC. Their regular-season finale is against Nichols College on Saturday in Dudley, Mass. The winner secures the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the conference tourney.

SAINT JOSEPH’S COLLEGE

Field hockey senior Courtney Rague of Old Orchard Beach was named an NAC co-player of the week this week for the second straight week.

• Kayla Nowell of Bridgton became the field hockey program’s all-time points leader when she scored a 23rd-minute goal in a loss to Endicott College at Lakeside Field on Wednesday.

Nowell surpassed Julia Ostrowski, who amassed 131 points (46 goals, 39 assists) in 73 career games. Nowell has 133 points, with 52 goals and 29 assists, in 70 games.

BOWDOIN COLLEGE

The 12-0 women’s field hockey team rose to No. 5 in the country in the latest Division III poll. The team is one of just two undefeated teams in the nation and will close the regular season with games against Trinity on Saturday and Tufts next week.

The team has already clinched a top-four finish and quarterfinal home game for Oct. 31, but the top seed is on the line in the last two games.

• The men’s soccer team is 8-1-2 and ranked 14th in the nation following Tuesday’s 7-0 win over USM.

The team has never won a NESCAC Championship but is second in New England behind Middlebury and appears poised to challenge for the title.

• The 14-8 volleyball team won a program-best seven NESCAC games this fall (7-3 record) and is expected to be a No. 3 or 4 seed for the upcoming playoffs. The program will be looking for its first-ever NESCAC tournament win.

• The men’s cross country team won the Maine State Championship last weekend and will be running for a NESCAC Championship on Halloween weekend, which would earn a bid for the NCAA Championships. Once unranked this season, the men are now 17th in the nation.

 

Staff Writer Jenn Menendez can be contacted at 791-6426 or at: jmenendez@pressherald.com

 

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