Mountain Hawks open fall season at Bucknell Invite
9/10/2010 4:58:00 PM | Women's Golf
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh women's golf team opens up its fall season on Saturday at the two-day Bucknell Invitational in Lewisburg, Pa. Head coach Rob Shutte takes over the reins of a program that is littered with talented young players. The Bucknell Invitational will be the first of four fall tournaments for a Mountain Hawks team that is excited to get back out on the course.
“Our team is excited to play golf again,” explained Shutte. “Our program has structure now. The camaraderie among the girls is very high. They're gelling as a group, and helping each other get better. There has been good competition at practice. When a lot of people are playing well it elevates everyone's game. We're just going to try to keep getting better every day.”
On a team that features three sophomores and three freshmen, Lehigh's co-captains, senior Emily Endres and junior Taylor Orr will be counted upon for leadership.
“As our sole senior Emily has had a lot of experience,” Shutte said. “She has played in a lot of tournaments so you can see here confidence on the course. She doesn't let anything faze her.
Shutte continued, “Taylor may be the hardest working player I've seen in all the years I've been coaching. She does great in workouts. She has tremendous upside and she's coachable. She has a big ceiling.”
Shutte is also excited about the prospects of his sophomore class as Natalie Lansing, Chelsea Michalek and Ginette Schapira are all talented players who enjoyed success as freshmen for the Mountain Hawks. All three saw significant action in tournaments. Lansing and Michalek enjoyed strong junior careers in Minnesota and Illinois, respectively, while Schapira brings significant international experience to the program.
“Ginette has a lot of international experience and because of that, she practices like a pro,” Shutte said. “She has all the tools, once she gets stronger and more consistent. Chelsea and Natalie have tons of junior experience. Chelsea is a great ball striker and has a strong short game which makes her one of our most consistent players. Her short game keeps her in every round.”
In addition, Lehigh has three freshmen on its roster that will make immediate contributions out on the links. Hannah Kim is an excellent ball-striker who can hit all the shots. Crystal Lee features a smooth, clean swing and game and Ava Panteli has had success at the junior level in Staten Island, New York and has a big upside for the Lehigh program.
Lehigh's fall season begins with the Bucknell Invitational this weekend. The Mountain Hawks will also play in the Yale Invitational in late September and in tournaments at Penn State and Rutgers in October.
“Our women are excited to get back out there,” said Shutte. “They have that fire to go play golf at the highest level. They're capable of playing well and I'm excited to see them compete as a team and as individuals. We're not trying to peak this weekend. We're just trying to get better every day.”
Action at the Bucknell invitational begins Saturday with 36 holes of play beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday will feature the final 18 holes, beginning at 8:30.
Season Preview: Women's Golf
Thursday, February 20
