HERSHEY, Pa. - Sophomore Matt Buckley shot an even par 70 and sits in second place, one shot off the lead, and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) golf team began its spring season slate with a 300 on the first day of the two-day Hershey Cup at the Hershey Country Club. RPI sits in fourth place in the 17-school field, just six shots from the leader, No. 5 Wittenberg University. 

Following three bogeys and a birdie in his first four holes, Buckley had another bird on the front nine and two more on the back, along with six pars, for his 70. He went out at +1, 36 and then shaved two strokes off on the back for a -1, 34. He is just one stroke behind Matthew Mattioli of Wittenberg, who had a 34 on the front nine and a 35 on the back.

Rensselaer senior Joey Harrigan is second on the team and tied for sixth overall with a +3, 73. He shot par on 10 of the first 11 holes before a birdie on the par-4 12th hole. 

Freshman Jacob Lindsay is tied for 29th with a +8, while senior Trent Han is one stroke behind him. Lindsay had a birdie and 11 pars and Han recorded 11 pars with seven of them coming on the back nine.

Following Wittenberg, which had a +14, 294 is New York University (+16, 296) and No. 24 University of Rochester (+18, 298), the host school. RPI's +20, 300 is one stroke in front of Gettysburg College and five in front of No. 6 Carnegie Mellon University.

Action concludes on Monday beginning at 8:40am. The Engineers will tee off around 9:20am.