This weekend was the last opportunity for the Penn State men's golf team to make a statement this fall.

Junior Robert Rohanna took the lead for Penn State at the Four Streams Golf Course in Beallsville, Md., earning medalist honors individually, while catapulting Penn State to third overall. His 36-hole total of 139 led all golfers.

The Georgetown Hoya Invitational was the final event of the year for the Nittany Lions, and the golfers were hoping that they could set a positive tone for the upcoming spring season.

"It was a really good feeling," Rohanna said. "I think it's about time that I put together a solid tournament and won."

After the first round, Penn State found itself in seventh place after firing a combined 305.

Despite being in the middle of the pack, the team was only six strokes behind leader William and Mary.

Rohanna led the Lions' first-day scoring, shooting a one-over-par 72, good for third place individually through 18 holes. William and Mary's Matt Brantingham was the only player under par in the first round with a 68.

On Sunday, Rohanna carded a 67, the best round of the tournament. Along with a solid pair of 74's from sophomore Chad Bricker and freshman Kevin Foley, the Lions were able to climb up to third place, just two strokes back of Georgetown, which won its home event for the first time since 2002.

While the third place finish was the second best of the year for Penn State, the team still wished they could have pulled out the victory.

"We really didn't do what we wanted to do," Bricker said. "We wanted to win and to lose by two was kind of disappointing."

Bricker finished tied for 11th with a 150. Foley shot a 152 for a share of 17th place. Freshman Jim Markovitz tied for 52nd with a 161 and sophomore Tyler Tarney rounded out Penn State's scoring with a 58th place 164.

The real story of the day, though, was Rohanna, who beat out the entire field on the strength of a five-birdie performance on Sunday. He was six strokes ahead of his nearest competitor, George Mason's J.J. Amoruso.

"I've put myself in a position before to win a tournament, and today I followed through with it," Rohanna said.

In the past, Penn State has had problems finishing tournaments well. But this weekend, the Lions' Sunday performance was the better of the two rounds for them, as they came from behind to claim third.

Now the team will face a long layoff before tournament play begins again. The spring season doesn't begin until March, so the golfers will have indoor practices during the winter to try to stay sharp.

This weekend's play should give the team a bit of a confidence boost going forward.