Philadelphia, Pa. - (9/22/2014) – With everyone back from one of the best seasons in program history, Chestnut Hill College Golf Head Coach Eric McNamee sees big things in store for the 2014-2015 Griffins. "I'm expecting continued forward movement of the golf program," McNamee said. "We had no losses to the roster but have added two players that could be at the top of our roster if they play to their potential. Our goal is simple: to win the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship."
 
Chestnut Hill College came closer to that objective than ever before a year ago, finishing a program-best fourth (4^th of 10) at the CACC tournament. Every member of that squad is back, including Team Most Valuable Player (MVP), senior Blaise Straka Jr. (Croydon, Pa.), who paced the Griffins with a two-day score of 158 (80-78, +14) to tie for fifth overall and garner All-Tournament status. Straka was second on the team in stroke average (81.23).
 
Junior Matthew Balcer (Bensalem, Pa.), the Coach's Award winner, offered the team's third best average score (82.93) and was a CACC Weekly Honor Roll mention on March 24, and classmate Bryan Saxon (Califon, N.J.) posted a team-best stroke average (80.71) while playing in seven rounds for the Griffins as a sophomore. He shot a day-two 74 (+2) at the CACC Championship, good for the team's best round of the season and a tie for eighth place overall (86-74, 160, +16). He was also a one-time CACC Weekly Honor Roll mention (4/7). Fellow junior Cody Bloom (San Diego, CA) figures to return to the Griffins regular lineup.
 
The Griffins will also benefit from the return of Kevin O'Donnell (Cape May Courthouse, N.J.), who was a three-time Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Rookie of the Week (3/17, 3/24, and 4/7) and finished 20^th overall at the CACC Championship last year. Senior David King (Bensalem, Pa.) competed in seven rounds a year ago.
 
McNamee expects Chestnut Hill College to receive a boost from a pair of newcomers in freshman Sam Riemer (Canton, Mass.) and sophomore transfer Anthony Hoffman (Philadelphia, Pa.), who spent his rookie season at the University of Tampa. "Both are strong players who have a lot of tournament experience and positive energy," McNamee said.
 
The Griffins will take their first strokes of the new season at Tall Grass Golf Club in Shoreham, New York, on Sunday, September 21, when they join several local schools for the Dowling College Invitational.