Naugy tuning up for NVLs

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Naugatuck’s Arbner Mehmedi and the Greyhounds are heading down the homestretch of the regular season. The Naugatuck Valley League championship match is May 31 at the Watertown Golf Club. –FILE PHOTO

NAUGATUCK — The Naugatuck golf team has a few tests down the homestretch of the regular season as the Greyhounds prepare for the Naugatuck Valley League championship match.

“We got some tough teams coming up,” head coach Peter Kovalski said on Tuesday. “I think playing those teams will certainly help us to be ready for what we will face in the league championship.”

Naugatuck will face Wolcott on Wednesday and Watertown on Thursday before closing out the regular season next week ahead of next Thursday’s NVL championships at the Watertown Golf Club.

On Tuesday, Naugatuck played a round against St. Paul and Torrington at the Chippanee Golf Club in Bristol. The Greyhounds shot a 228, behind St. Paul’s 180 and Torrington’s 184.

Arbner Mehmedi led the Greyhounds (4-6) with a 49. Joe Macary (55), Madison Brink (60) and Derek McGrath (64) rounded out the scoring for Naugatuck.

Naugatuck has featured a co-ed lineup in nearly every match so far this year. There are girls and boys tournaments at the NVL championships.

So far this season, Brink has posted the Greyhounds’ lowest round with a 47 to earn medalist honors in a win over Kennedy on May 2.

For the girls, Abigail Pruchnicki (season low 61) and junior Mia Rotatori (season low 56) have both scored in varsity matches this season and will join Brink to represent the Greyhounds in the girls tournament. Rotatori finished second and Pruchnicki took third in last year’s girls tournament.

Mehmedi, who has the lowest score of the season for the boys with a 48 versus Woodland at the end of April, will lead the boys at NVLs. Derek McGrath (season low 56) and Joe Macary (season low 56) have shown improvement throughout the season. Ryan Brink and Ryan Hunt have also been scored in varsity matches and both have season-low scores of 57.

During the season, the Greyhounds’ starting lineup for matches was decided by playing a round prior to a match. The golfers with the best scores would start. For the NVL championships, Kovalski said he is going with the players who have the lowest season averages.

“The kids are excited about the opportunity to play in the league tournament and they are ready to do their best,” Kovalski said.