Veronica Lopes wins at Hofstra for second individual title

10/15-16/04 -- Senior Veronica Lopes (Mississauga, Ontario) captured her second individual title by winning a sudden-death playoff at the Hofstra Fall Invitational in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Lopes carded a final-round 75, Saturday's best round, and pared a 433-yard hole to upend Jillian Blanchard of Siena after both finished with a 36-hole total of 158. Lopes hit a driver and three wood just short of the green before chipping on the hitting the putt.

Lopes owns both individual titles in school history, having also won the Mount Holyoke Invitational on September 29, 2002.

Senior Shauna Wilde (Mississauga, Ontario) missed joining the playoff by one shot with 159, but her third-place finish helped the Blackbirds close third with 666. Tracey Chew (Sacramento, Calif.) was tied for 14th with 169 and fellow senior Amy Kitchen (Staten Island, N.Y.) finished tied for 19th with 180.

Sophomore Charles Pantangco (Dallas, Texas) paced the men's squad by finishing tied for third with 146, including an opening-round 72 on Friday. That aided the Blackbirds in finishing tied for third with 601.

Brad Corcoran (Mississauga, Ontario) ended tied for seventh with 148 and fellow seniors Kevin Allo (San Bernardino, Calif.) and Mike Munoz (Yucaipa, Calif.) were tied for 26th with 154.

The women return to action Thursday at the Monmouth Quad-Match in Fort Monmouth, N.J. The men have concluded their fall season.