LEBANON, Pa. - Speaking with stoic confidence as if he already knew the outcome of Sunday's PSAC Championship, Millersville men's golf head coach Scott Vandegrift, now in his 38th year, addressed his team, which held a one-shot lead over four-time defending champion IUP with 18 holes to play. The message was simple: finish. The resolute and undeniable lineup of three seniors and two freshmen carried their coach's confidence through each of their 296 shots and delivered Millersville and Vandegrift a fifth PSAC Championship.
 
From tee to green, the Marauders steadily executed while teams slowly buckled against a wind-beaten Iron Valley Golf Club course that punished every team in the field except the Marauders, who refused to falter. Even with the pressure of starting the day with a one-shot lead, the Marauders fired the best team round of the tournament and did so as no other team in the field came within 12 shots of them.
 
"We're mudders," said a beaming Bobby Lugiano, who had hoisted the team trophy only moments earlier. "When conditions get worse, we step up and don't let it affect us."
 
Millersville finished as the only team to post two sub-300 rounds and ran away with the team title by 14 shots. Defining the day's mission to finish, Millersville's four counted scorecards—turned in by Timothy Peters, Bobby Lugiano, Carl Ernst and Jake Speers—saw a combined 3-under-par score over the final four holes.
 
"We wanted to reproduce the intensity from yesterday," said Vandegrift. "The word was to finish the job. We didn't spend much time looking at the live scoring. We stuck to the plan, played holes,  and it worked out…These fellas play in all types of weather. It didn't affect them. They became more determined to stay in the hunt. They finished yesterday, and they came out today to finish the job, and they did."
 
With an even demeanor and maturity far beyond his years, freshman Timothy Peters held off a hard-charging Lugiano for medalist honors. After four bogeys in the first five holes, Peters settled and played the final 13 holes at 1-under-par, finishing the championship at 3-over—two shots clear of Lugiano, who forced Peters to brilliantly execute over the final three holes.
 
"I'm not surprised," said Vandegrift of Peters' play. "I watched him all summer to recruit him. I knew he was a tournament player. He's mature beyond his age. He's going to be a leader on this team for the next four years."
 
By the time Speers knocked in his birdie putt on the par-4 15th, the Marauders led by six, and that lead only continued to widen. With the team trophy a formality, the on-course drama of the final holes shifted to the individual battle between Lugiano and Peters. Lugiano started his day in fourth place, six shots behind Peters, but his eagle on the par-5 third hole sent a message to his young teammate. Lugiano moved to 2-under-par on the day with a birdie on the 13th, and he took advantage of another par-5 at the 16th, momentarily taking the lead away from the freshman. Peters, playing in the group behind Lugiano, responded.
 
After a bogey on the 15th, Peters took a moment to check the live scoring results and saw that he was tied with Lugiano. On the 16th, Peters hit a driver off the tee and placed a six iron on the green before two-putting for a birdie. He then dropped a beauty of a seven iron to 10 feet on the 180-yard 17th, and drilled the putt. He striped his drive up the right-hand side of the fairway at No. 18, and his approach shot landed just to the left of the green in the short cut. Unaware that Lugiano had missed his par putt on the 18th, Peters believed he needed a par to avoid a playoff with his team captain. As he had for the prior 53 holes, Peters made the shots he needed to make. He gingerly chipped down a slope to five feet, snuck a left-to-right breaker in on the high side of the hole, and responded with a subtle fist pump, fully aware that he had just won the PSAC Championship.
 
"My only thought today was to play well for the team," said Peters. "We haven't won a team championship since 2013, so to win one 10 years later is awesome, and to especially do it for Bob, and Carl, and Ty, the seniors on the team, it means a lot for them to play well, for the team to play well, execute and win the team championship."


 
Peters was remarkably consistent for three days, shooting rounds of 73, 72 and 74. He's now won two of his last three starts and shot five consecutive rounds of 74 or lower. 
                                                                                                               
"This week I focused on my routine and staying patient, not worrying if I made a seven on one of the holes. If you execute your shots, you'll play at this course and anywhere."
 
Just like in 2013, Marauders finished first and second two shots apart. Then, it was Conor Gilbert and Robby Rowe. One day after the 10-year anniversary of that championship, it was Peters and Lugiano.
 
"(Bobby) pushed Timothy to the end," said Vandegrift. "You are led by your captain."
 
"It's awesome," said Lugiano. "Coming in we have all been playing well and were super excited. After the first round, we trailed IUP by seven, but we knew we had two days left, and we played our hearts out both days."
 


Also key to the Marauders' win was the back-nine performance of Carl Ernst. Ernst's day started with a triple bogey at No. 1, and he went out in 42, but the senior powered his way to three-straight pars at Nos. 9, 10 and 11, and he played the last seven holes at 1-under-par, shooting a 5-over-par 77 and finish in ninth.
 
Freshman Jake Speers provided an emotional lift and a gutsy final 18 holes for his team. With an injured hand that prevented him from gripping a club and playing in the second round, Speers spent Saturday night receiving treatments and courageously inserted himself into the lineup Sunday morning. Not eligible for an individual finish, Speers shot a 3-over-par 75—one of the lowest rounds of the day. Senior Ty Morral, tied for 20th, finishing the tournament at 23-over-par.
 
"It was very inspiring considering we had two freshmen and three seniors," said Vandegrift. "I can't say enough about (Jake) who couldn't even play yesterday because of a hurt hand, and he led the charge today. He shot 75 with the worst hand in the world. The whole team rallied yesterday to keep us in the tournament and take the lead. They were determined to finish it today, and they did."
 
Millersville entered the tournament playing its best and has now won its last three events. The conference championship also gives Millersville the coveted automatic berth into the NCAA Atlantic/East Super Regional in May.