NORTH SUTTON, N.H. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's golf team opened the season with a second-place finish at the New England College Invitational on Sunday, posting a team total of 343.
 
VTSU Castleton topped third-place Norwich by a single stroke and finished two shots ahead of Little East Conference foe Keene State. The host Pilgrims took the top spot as a team at 325 and had the first and second individuals in the event.
 
Dominic Rodrigue fired a team-best 81 at the par-72 Country Club of New Hampshire, followed by Andrew Stefura's 84 and Brady Hathorn's 88. Zach Trempner closed out the scorers for Castleton with a 90.
 
The Spartans are back on the links Wednesday at Norwich's Tony Mariano Invitational at the Country Club of Barre.