MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (May 23, 2018) – The no. 8 regionally-ranked Franklin Pierce University men's golf team concluded their epic 2017-18 season with a 19th place finish at the 2018 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship.

The championship was hosted by the University of North Alabama and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals, a par 72, 7,407-yard course. FPU had to endure humidity and hot temperatures, something they were not accustomed to during their regular season slate. The Ravens finished 19th at 923 (+59) overall and matched Tuesday's 304 (+16) total Wednesday.

"We had a great experience down here in Muscle Shoals." said head coach Tyler Bishop. "I am so proud of our young men and what they accomplished this season. This was a huge step forward for our golf program. I am excited about the future of Raven golf!"

Freshman Dylan Plis (Camillus, N.Y.) carried the Ravens throughout the three-day championship tournament. He totaled a team-low 225 (+9) tying for 69th place and shot a career-best 69 (-3) Wednesday. During his career round, Plis putted home five birdies, with three coming on the front nine. He also led the squad in total birdies (10) and tallied the only eagle over the course of the three rounds.

Teammate Keeton Foster (Spofford, N.H.) was one shot behind Plis as the sophomore produced a 226 (+10) three-round score. Foster got better as the tournament went on knocking off strokes from his scorecard each day. On Monday he shot a 77 (+5), Tuesday a 75 (+3) and Wednesday a 74 (+2). He was sitting at -1 through the front nine with a birdie on the ninth hole before he ended his morning with three consecutive bogeys on the final three holes.

Taylor Simpson (Londonderry, N.H.) and Sam Myers (Colchester, Vt.) marked 236 (+20) and 241 (+25) showings respectively. Simpson was the Raven leader Tuesday (72, E) and was first on the squad in total pars (32). Liam Donohue (Vernon, Conn.) had to withdraw from the championship Tuesday as he suffered a knee injury in the bunker on 17. He shot an 80 (+8) Monday, his only completed round.

The top eight teams will advance to match play tomorrow for the quarter and semifinals. The finals will tee off Friday, May 25th at 9:00 a.m. central time.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce golf apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store). You can also follow the golf programs on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPU_GOLF).