KEENE, N.H. – Freshman Jaden Poirier (White River Junction, Vt./Hartford) recorded the lowest score in Little East Conference Championship history with a 64 (-7) on Tuesday as part of a record-breaking round by the University of Southern Maine in the opening round of LEC Men's Golf Championship. The Huskies' all-freshman lineup combined to shoot two-under par 282 for the best team round in conference championship history.
 
Poirier had seven birdies and shot par on every other hole. His score is the best by a Southern Maine golfer since Husky Hall of Famer J.J. Frost shot a 65 in the opening round of the USM Fall Classic on October 1, 2005 and is the lowest in program history per records dating back to 1995.
 
Poirier's score beats the mark set by Ashton Lewis of Eastern Connecticut State in the second round of the 2023 championship. Eastern Connecticut also set the team record with 287 in that round. Both records set by Eastern Connecticut came on a par-70 course.
 
All five members of the Southern Maine lineup ended the first round ranked in the top 10 on the individual leaderboard. Owen Moore (Pittsfield, Maine/Maine Central Institute) shot one-over par 72 to finish fourth. Alex Grant (St. Albans, Maine/Nokomis Regional) and Taylor Farr (Gorham, Maine) each shot a 73 (+2) to tie for fifth. Alex Fournier (Augusta, Maine/Cony) ended the round tied for seventh with a 75 (+4).
 
On the Course:

• Five of Poirier's seven birdies came on the front nine and he finished the first half of the course five-under par 30. He then had birdies on holes 13 and 16.
• Moore shot matching 36s on the front and back nine. He had the lone eagle of the day on the 13th hole and carded a pair of birdies.
• Farr had back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth holes to end the front nine one-over par 36. He also birdied the 17th hole.
• Grant had birdies on holes 9 and 13.
• Fournier started his round with a birdie and was the only player to record a birdie on the 14th hole.
• Moore had the only birdie on the fourth hole and Poirier was the only player to birdie the sixth hole.

 
Team Scores:
1. Southern Maine (282, -2)
2. Eastern Connecticut (297, +13)
3. Western Connecticut (316, +32)
4. VTSU Castleton (323, +39)
T-5. Keene State (328, +44)
T-5. Rhode Island College (328, +44) 
 
Up Next:
The Huskies will look to finish strong tomorrow in the second round. They will tee off in the second group of teams at 9:50 am. The fourth through sixth-place teams will tee off at 9:00 am.