WESTFIELD, Mass. – Senior Madi Mousley carded an 86 while junior Abby Weiterman finished with an 89 as the Keene State College women's golf team concluded the first day of the 2026 Little East Conference championship one stroke behind event-leading Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday at the Tekoa Country Club near the campus of Westfield State University.

The Owls trail the Warriors in what could become a heated battle by exactly one stroke entering Sunday's final round, with five ECSU birdies and one double-digit hole by KSC proving to be among the slimmest of differences between the two sides after the first day.

Sunday, the Owls will aim to again overtake the leader in the final round after Keene State won the inaugural conference championship last fall by erasing a six-shot lead for Husson University by shooting a 359 after a 370 on the first day (Husson shot a 364 followed by a 370).

Mousley finished with six pars – three on both the front and back nines – to lead the way, improving by two strokes on the back (42).  Weiterman parred four of her first seven holes to shoot sub-90, while Mackenzie Hagearty (96) and Sadie Murray (99) rounded out the Owls' scoring contingent on the first day of the championship.

A big swing in the team scores came on the 12th and 13th holes, as after KSC's five golfers combined for four pars and one bogey on the par three No. 11, Eastern responded with current tournament leader Caroline Goderre and second-place Daria Fournier – both Warriors – with a pair of birdies on No. 12 before Goderre also birdied the 360-yard par-four 13th.  The Owls were 11 over par on those same two holes, with five bogeys and three double bogeys.

Goderre finished with an eye-catching 75 (+4) to lead the tournament field, recording three birdies and ten pars.  Fournier had two birdies and shot a 37 on the back nine to help keep ECSU in front.  The Owls' depth more than gives them a chance, outpacing Eastern's No. 3 and No. 4 seeded scorers by 18 strokes.

"We did well today with the slow play and just overall nervousness of the first day," said Owls head coach Jeff Timmer.  "We are very close and have confidence going into tomorrow.  We just need to stay confident."

Tee times tomorrow (Sunday, October 25) have been delayed by an hour and a half due to expected frost and will begin at 10:30 a.m.
 

Team Standings — Round 1

Place	Team	Score	To Par
1	Eastern Connecticut	369	+85
2	Keene State	370	+86
3	Husson	391	+107
4	Southern Maine	401	+117
5	Rhode Island College	428	+144
6	Western Connecticut	432	+148
7	Westfield State	464	+180
8	Lasell	471	+187

Top 10 Golfers — Round 1

Place	Golfer	Team	Score	To Par
1	Caroline Goderre	Eastern Connecticut	75	+4
2	Daria Fournier	Eastern Connecticut	81	+10
T-3	Madi Mousley	Keene State	86	+15
T-3	Remy Levin	Southern Maine	86	+15
5	Abby Weiterman	Keene State	89	+18
6	Caroline Chausse	Husson	91	+20
T-7	Mya Linchitz	Rhode Island College	95	+24
T-7	Felicity Fuller	Western Connecticut	95	+24
T-9	Ryley Meyer	Southern Maine	96	+25
T-9	Mackenzie Hagearty	Keene State	96	+25