LEWISBURG, Pa. – Loyola University Maryland golf regained the lead for the first time since Saturday early on the back-nine Sunday, and the Greyhounds held off Holy Cross and Army West Point on the final holes to win its seventh Patriot League Championship in the last 12 years on Sunday.
 
Gustavo Rangel tapped in a short par putt on the 18^th hole at the Bucknell Golf Club to seal a one-shot victory over Holy Cross.
 
Loyola's conference title is its seventh since joining the Patriot League in 2013-14 and 24^th since 1990 when it was a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The win sends the Greyhounds to the NCAA Regionals for the 13^th time in program history.
 
Rangel led the Greyhounds with a third-place finish with four other Greyhounds finishing in the top 15 of the tournament.
 
Eli Spaulding tied for 10^th, and Jackson Roman, Mike Crowley and Garrett Kessler tied for 14^th.
 
The Greyhounds went to war with the wind on Sunday with gusts over 30 miles per hour impacting all types of shots.
 
Loyola entered the day four shots back of Army West Point after 36 holes. Kessler helped the Greyhounds make up ground early with three birdies on the first six holes and four overall on the front nine where he made the turn at 2-under 72.
 
The other three Greyhounds whose scores were counting at the turn – Roman, Crowley and Spaulding – all shot 2-over 38. The Black Knights, however, maintained a three-shot lead when the final group finished nine holes
 
Loyola's scores leveled on the back nine, but Army West Point put up several red numbers. By the time all groups were through the 12^th hole, Loyola had taken its first lead since Saturday morning.
 
Over the next three, the Black Knights slipped further behind, but Holy Cross crept into second place.
 
Roman and Crowley both had pars on the 15^th hole, while Rangel, Kessler and Dustin Stocksdale all had birdies. Going to the 16^th tee, Loyola had a one-shot lead over the Crusaders.
 
The Greyhounds and Crusaders all had pars on the downhill par three, and play moved on to the uphill 17^th. The teams' scores held steady, and Loyola went to the 18^th hole with a one-shot lead.
 
Every Loyola player made par on that final hole, albeit with drama at the end.
 
Spaulding rolled a putt of more than 60 feet to within two feet before making his par putt.
 
In the final group, both Rangel and Holy Cross' Nolan Schuermann had wedges inside of 65 yards, downhill, from the fairway. Schuermann was away, and his ball spun, leaving him a birdie putt of more than 40 feet. Rangel's wedge then released long, and he had to chip his third shot from off the back of the green.
 
Rangel was short-sided with his chip, yet he coaxed it to within 18 inches, making the par putt to clinch the team victory.
 
Kessler's even-par 70 led the Greyhounds in the final round, and Crowley shot 2-over 72. Rangel and Roman both shot 3-over 73.
 
The Greyhounds will learn their NCAA Regional destination during the NCAA Selection Show on the Golf Channel at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30. The regionals will be held May 12-14 at one of six locations.