BUFFALO LAKE, Minn. - For the second time in as many days, the third tournament in a row, and the fifth time this season, the University of Northwestern Women's Golf team is traveling home a winner. Although Saturday at the MLC Fall Invitational was far from their best outing, the Eagles still emerged victorious with a team score of 329 (+41), getting contributions from some different players than tournaments' past and winning by 33 strokes.
One thing that remained constant for UNW was the play of superstar
Morgan Eckman (Jordan, Minn./Jordan), who won for the fourth time this season wth a score of 75 (+3), putting her nine shots clear of the rest of the field. One of those nine shots back was
Izzy Lee (Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Prep), who tied for second with a season-best 84 (+12). A cavalcade of Eagles followed Lee in the standings;
Sondra Albrecht (Ham Lake, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) and
Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) tied for fifth place with matching 85's (+13), while
Brielle Lenz (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) and
Ellie Rolland (Otsego, Minn./Rogers) each posted 86 (+14), tying them for seventh. Rounding out the lineup for Northwestern was
Paige Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool), who took 13th place with a score of 91 (+19).
UNW will put its three-tournament winning streak on the line next weekend at the UMAC Championships, where it has won the past two seasons and three of the last four. The Eagles will once again be the favorites to claim the conference's automatic bid to the national tournament but must first survive the three-day gauntlet at Pebble Creek Golf Club. Tee times will begin Thursday, October 2nd at 10:00 AM in Becker, Minnesota.
