The men's golf team outlasted a pack of district teams to finish sixth at the King's Mill Invitational in Williamsburg, Va., Monday and Tuesday.

Penn State's 623 total was two strokes ahead of host William & Mary and better than six other teams from the Eastern District.

The Lions moved into a second place tie with Temple on the year. The Owls were nine strokes shy of Penn State's mark in Virginia. St. John's, which leads the district with a 2-1 record against the Lions, did not compete this weekend.

UNC-Charlotte won the 13-team invitational with a two-day 601.

Freshman Matt Shiley paced the Lions with a 77-73 for 150, placing him fifth individually in the tournament. His two-under-par 33 on the back nine Tuesday afternoon led all golfers. He also shot one under par on Kings Mill's infamous 17th hole for the tournament.

"It was a mixture of mental and mechanics," Shiley said. "I had a little problems with both but I had a good back nine."

After a disappointing first round which left them in a tie for ninth, the Lions rallied. Dan Vona shot a 77 Tuesday and Steve McEntee came back from a dismal first-round 82 to shoot 79 on the final day. Kyle Ross and freshman Jason Tyska rounded out the scoring with a 160 for the tournament.

The par-71 King's Mill course posed some new problems for the golfers. Although the weather conditions were ideal, the hilly terrain and placement of some holes posed obstacles.

"Its a strategic, target-oriented course. Hitting the target off the tee is critical," Coach Mary Kennedy said. "What cost them the most was their club selection and greens. We need to refine our short game a little more, but that comes with play."

The team also struggled with the long, par-5 holes of the PGA course.

"We were a little anxious and tried to go for it when we should have laid back and played smart," Shiley said.

After tournament play on two consecutive weekends, the Lions will get a brief respite. Their next scheduled competition is March 30, when they face Delaware and Georgetown in Easton, Md. They are also hoping to schedule a match the weekend before.

These matches will give Kennedy the opportunity to bring more players into competition and evaluate the lineup for the remainder of the season.

"I feel pretty strong about the four (Ross, Vona, Shiley and William Smith.) I'd like to keep them in the lineup depending on their performance and change the fifth if needed," Kennedy said.

With the break in the weather, the Lions have finally gone outside to practice. Yesterday was the first time they have been on the White Course since October.