This year's men's golf team has an opportunity to do something that it has only had a chance to do once before: defend the Ivy League title.
But the 2008 Quakers squad will have to find its own way to win because only two of the five starters from last year's championship lineup return. Top that off with a new coach, and the team has a whole new look.
Head Coach Francis Vaughn is taking over for Rob Powelson, and he will be coaching both the men's and women's teams this year.
This is nothing new for Vaughn, as this will be his 12th season with the Quakers.
In addition to his duties as women's head coach since 2000, he was the men's head coach from 1996-2002, winning Penn's only other Ivy League title.
The Quakers' No. 1 men's golfer -- Chance Pipitone - transferred to Duke midway through the fall season in order to compete for the No. 13 Blue Devils this spring. Senior Sean Barrett graduated and then-junior Nick Ryder decided not to come back for his final season.
"Obviously, those three will be difficult to replace," junior Michael Blodgett said.
"But, some of the sophomores are really starting to mature and some of the freshmen are picking up their play as well, so I think we will be fine going into the season."
With all of the changes, Penn is very deep and will be asking many of its players to contribute throughout the season.
Last year, the Red and Blue relied on only five golfers. This year, though, Blodgett and Vaughn expect eight or nine players to see tournament action.
"We have almost the whole team intact except for those three starters," Vaughn said. "I am not overly concerned. I know we have a bunch of young men who are anxious to fill those shoes."
One of those two returners from last year is senior Dean Merrill, who will be the lone captain this season. Merrill earned All-Ivy status last year and is one of three seniors on the team this year.
The second is Blodgett, who also competed in every tournament for Penn last year.
Vaughn announced that this weekend's lineup will be rounded out by senior Michael Kornheiser, junior Brett Rendina and freshman Kevin Huntington.
"We feel that those players have worked the hardest this offseason and their performance and results made it easy for us to select them for this week," Vaughn said.
Blodgett believes this team can pick up right where it left off in the fall when it won the Lehigh Invitational tournament.
"We are eager to get into it and show people we can win again, " Blodgett said. "Similar to last year, I don't think we are favored to win, but I think the underdog mentality with this young team is to our advantage."
