Aug. 10, 2006

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - The Lewis University men's golf team will put a highly competitive group of players on the course in every tournament during the 2006-07 season.

Head coach Dennis Troy is certain of that.

Ask Troy which five golfers he believes will make up the Flyer lineup, however, and you're likely to see a shrug of the shoulders and palms turned upward.

"On paper we look really good, but until you see who's ready to compete physically and mentally, you don't know," Troy said. "Our team has a lot of ability. It's simply a matter of which five guys are going to go out and grab those lineup spots.

"Whose game will be ready to go? All I can say is that it's up in the air. I just don't know right now."

Troy has a capable group of returning players anxious to improve on the Flyers' seventh-place Great Lakes Valley Conference finish of a year ago. That group is comprised of seniors Lloyd Roth, Rob Peters, Dennis McLain and Shawn Williams; junior Brian Carlson; and sophomores Sumeet Arora, Greg Roderique and Chris Spalla.

The freshman class consists of Josh Butterfield, Peter Tanaka and Paul Dagys.

"This team has maturity and solid leadership, plus a recruiting class that compiled a pretty nice record in high school and junior golf," Troy said.

Roth, last season's team scoring leader (75.61), will serve as Flyer captain again. He was Lewis' top golfer in six tournaments (most on the team) and tied for second on the team with five top-20 finishes, four of which were top-10 efforts.

"Lloyd played very well for most of last season before tiring a bit at the end, but I think he learned from that," Troy said. "I'm confident he'll return to top form."

Troy believes Peters, who played all 16 of his 2005-06 rounds in the spring, can play a major role.

"It's the last go-around for Rob," Troy said. "He can help us if he regains the kind of confidence in his game he had earlier in his career."

Although playing only sparingly the past two seasons, McLain is another golfer who wants to make his final year count.

"We're hoping Dennis can have a productive season and push to make the lineup," Troy said.

Williams battled injuries but played solid golf at times for the Flyers last season, his first at Lewis after transferring from College of DuPage. He averaged 78.75 in 16 rounds.

"Shawn can contribute to this team if he stays healthy," Troy said. "He has raw talent and great strength."

Playing in his first Lewis season after transferring from Elgin Community College, Carlson finished a solid third on the team in scoring average (76.97) in 2005-06. He tied for second among Flyer golfers with five top-20 finishes and led the team in two tournaments.

"I would be pleased if Brian can knock off a couple of strokes from his average," Troy said. "That would help the team a great deal."

Arora enjoyed a terrific freshman season. He qualified for the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Championship, made the All-GLVC team by tying for fifth place at the GLVC Championship, finished a close second to Roth in scoring average (75.69) and fired the Flyers' best round of the season, a 67 at Murray State. In addition, he led the team with seven top-20 finishes (three top-10s) and led the Flyers in five tournaments, the second-highest total on the team.

Arora continued his success into the summer, qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

"Sumeet is a real competitor who believes he can make every shot," Troy said. "He has great hands and a nice touch that makes his short game really good. When he gets on a roll, he has the ability to put up some very good numbers."

Roderique struggled in his rookie campaign, but Troy thinks the sophomore turned those tough times into a valuable learning experience.

"Greg has matured as a player and understands his swing better," Troy said. "He has a good short game. The key for Greg is to have confidence in himself."

Spalla was hampered by injuries last season and must battle his way back into contention for a roster spot.

Butterfield comes to Lewis after making the Illinois all-state team as a senior (sixth place at the state tournament) and junior (eighth place), winning the conference championship his senior year and capturing the regional crown as a sophomore and junior at Wheaton Academy. He also finished third at the U.S. Junior qualifying tournament, missing a spot in the U.S. Junior Nationals by just one stroke, and won the Illinois State Junior qualifier in 2005.

"Josh is excited about playing college golf," Troy said. "He has a real solid swing and is a confident player. He'll be a big contributor if he can make a smooth transition to this level."

Tanaka, who hails from a quality prep program at Waubonsie Valley High School, qualified for the state tournament as a senior last season.

"Peter hits the ball a long way," Troy said. "He could challenge for a lineup spot if he gains consistency in his ball-striking."

Dagys was a three-time sectional tournament participant and two-time conference champion at Oak Forest. He also excelled in Illinois Junior Golf Association competition, leading the IJGA in top-10 finishes and placing among the top three in the IJGA Player of the Year point standings in 2006.

"Paul played a lot of summer golf and should be ready for our fall tryouts," Troy said. "He may be a bit of a long shot, but he could become a factor for us at some point."

Although the GLVC appears to be tough again - and perhaps a bit better than it was last season - Troy is optimistic about the Flyers' chance to land in a much higher spot in the conference standings.

"Every team seems to have gotten stronger, but I think we also can be stronger," Troy said. "Finishing in the top three of a difficult conference like the GLVC would be a good season for us."