Senior Andrew Burke

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Second-year head coach Kevin Miller leads the Niagara University golf team into its season-opener this weekend when it competes in the Colgate Invitational, held at the Seven Oaks Golf Course in Hamilton, N.Y. The invitational consists of 18 holes Saturday and Sunday.

The Purple Eagles will be competing against the host Raiders, Bucknell, Canisius, Cornell, Fordham, Hamilton, Lafayette, Lehigh, Le Moyne, Ottawa, Rochester, Rider, St. Francis (Pa.) and Wagner.

Seven returning letterwinners and two freshmen will be vying for the five starting spots in the event. Miller welcomes back seniors Chris Agostinelli (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas) and Andrew Burke (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit), juniors Dan Misko (Grand Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s), Jimmy Pizzutelli (Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville East) and Chris Hart (Ithaca, N.Y.) and sophomores Mike Jarvis (Athol Springs, N.Y./St. Francis) and Joe Anderson (Sanborn, N.Y./Nichols). New to the team are freshmen Don Bryson (Brantford, Ont.) and Chris Singleton (Niagara Falls, Ont./Ridley College).

The Purple Eagles last played in the event in 2003 when they placed tied for 11th out of 21 teams with a 611 (309-302) on the par-72 course.

Then-freshman Misko finished with a 154 score to tie for 46th, classmate Hart tied for 57th with a 157 and then-sophomore Burke tied for 62nd with a 158.

The Seven Oaks Golf Course is located on the Colgate campus and was the host of the 1977 NCAA Division I Championship. The course is also rated as one of the top five collegiate courses in the country.