Philadelphia, Pa. - (9/1/2017) – Sophomores, Shawn Mayer (Brick, N.J.) and Taylor Mezzatesta (Forest Hill, Md.) will carry the torch for the Chestnut Hill College golf team this season as interim Head Coach Mike Paukovits ushers in a new generation of Griffins to the roster. The Scarlet and Gold finished seventh (7 of 10, 342-318, 660, +92) at last year's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship Tournament and will count on their young talent to overshadow the leadership lost with the graduation of Anthony Hoffman '17 and Kevin O'Donnell '17.
 
Hoffman and O'Donnell were consistent performers for Chestnut Hill College in 2016-2017; they give way to Mayer and Mezzatesta, who both offered solid freshman seasons. Mayer finished his rookie campaign with a 83.8 stroke average and enjoyed his best outing at Ursinus College's Revolutionary Collegiate Classic, where he helped the Griffins to a second straight tournament crown (1^st of 8, 309-306, 615, +39) with his two-day score of 164 (81-83, +20, 21^st). Mezzatesta tied for sixth (77-77, 154, +10) overall at the same Revolutionary Collegiate Classic; one of his two, top-10 finishes. His second came at the Charger Classic, where he placed 4^th with a round of 79 (+7). Mezzatesta was recognized with the team's Coach's Award thanks to an 82.6 stroke average.
 
With all four freshmen rooming together in Fournier Hall, team comradery should be a strength for the young Griffin roster. Jake Kehoe (Powell, Ohio) stands out among the quartet that also includes Dan Harrington (Pomfret Center, Conn.), Jack LaRosa (Bristol, Pa.), and Tyler Marchese (Dunmore, Pa.). Kehoe scored a pair of 73's to earn a four-point victory at last year's Columbus Ohio Golf Association (COGA) Junior Tour event at Darby Creek Golf Course.
 
Coach Paukovits believes consistency is the key for his young squad, "It may sound lofty, but I am confident that we can get back to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Regionals. To do that we need to be consistent at all our events." He concluded, "As the interim coach, I am excited to be a part of this program's rise and see them compete against the top teams in the CACC."
 
The Chestnut Hill College golf team begins their 2017 season this Sunday, September 3, when they meet Jefferson University for 2:00 p.m. tee time at the ACE Club.