WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The 2013-14 season for the Ephs ended in disappointment with a one-shot loss to Middlebury College in the NESCAC Championships. This loss prevented a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships.

This fall, the Eph golfers aim to avenge last year's defeat. Only they will do so without their core group of players.

Former Eph golfers Dylan Dethier, Jake Abrahams, Cody Semmelrock, Matt McCarron, and Ross Bowen anchored the golf team for three years, building a superb résumé along the way. Last spring alone, the five captains guided the team to four wins in six events.

Head coach Josh Hillman recognizes the impact their loss will have on the team, but he remains confident in his current players: "Last year we lost five very solid teammates as well as players. There is no doubt they will be missed. However, this opens a lot of doors for the classes under them."

Among these players are senior co-captains Jake Goldenring and Nate McCue, who look to use their experiences both on and off the course to help the team grow. Says Hillman, "[Goldenring and McCue] are tremendous leaders, and that will go a long way in helping our younger team grow. They have taken control of their team and are starting to move it in a very positive, very energetic direction."

Williams will also lean on the tournament experience of Goldenring and sophomore Grant Raffel. Both players received Ping All-Northeast Region honors for their spectacular play last season. Hillman believes they will "create a solid base for the team while we grow a few younger golfers into the lineup."

As Hillman suggests, the team has lots of young talent, starting with juniors Tony Liu, Max Elgart and Michael Stone. In addition to competing in Williams' home tournaments, Elgart has competed in the last two Little Three Championships, while Liu and Stone have tournament experience dating back to the 2012 Hamilton Invitational.

Sophomore Ross Hoffman has also showed promise in tournament play, winning the 2013 Williams Fall Invitational with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

To add to the strength of the roster, Hillman has brought in freshmen Jackson Moss and Jack Coyne. Both players have extensive tournament experience at the junior level, most notably in the American Junior Golf Association, the most difficult and prestigious of all junior circuits.

Rounding out the depth of the Ephs' roster are senior Jonathan Dely; juniors Greg Stone, Andy Leary, and Frank Worthington; and sophomores Jacob Watt-Morse, Greg Steinhelper, and Evan Wahl.

The team will begin the 2014 fall season where last season ended. Middlebury College will host its annual fall tournament, the Duke Nelson Invitational.

To determine who will represent the Ephs, Hillman has devised a 54-hole tryout. The three lowest scores will automatically qualify for roster spots, while Hillman will determine who takes the final two slots.

With the team's immense and deep talent, Hillman expects this week's qualifier to be competitive. "Really anyone on the team is capable of making the line up this fall. The door is open for anyone to step up and grab a spot. It will be a very interesting fall for everyone."

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