A year after winning the program’s first University Athletic Association (UAA) title, the NYU men’s golf team is out to prove it can prosper in the wake of the graduation of First Team All-UAA performer Mike Leibfried.
With three of the top-13 finishers from last year’s UAA Championship back in the fold, the Violets look to be in a good position to do just that.
“Our team is going to be a little different this year,” said head coach Todd Kolean. “We’re obviously going to miss Mike Leibfried. But, our other golfers will have to step up. We need our upperclassmen to step up and challenge for that number one spot.”
Senior David Su returns for NYU after his 10th-place finish at the UAA’s. Rounding out the Violets’ returning scorers from their championship showing are senior Ben Kleiner and junior Matt Riccio, who tied for 13th-place.
“Three guys that we’ll lean on hard are David Su, Ben Kleiner and Matt Riccio,” Kolean said. “David has been a consistent #1 or #2 player for us and he is in position to challenge for that top spot this year. Ben was a captain last year and is a great leader for our team. I know he has been playing great this summer. And Matt is a workout monster. I really think he’s going to step up for us.”
In addition to losing Leibfried, the Violets will also be without reigning UAA Rookie of the Year, Gabe Durkin, who will be studying abroad this year. However, due to a strong recruiting class, Kolean believes his team can sustain that loss.
“We have some impressive freshmen coming into the program,” Kolean explained. “With the leadership we’ll have from our upperclassmen, I think the newcomers can help us be one of the teams to beat in the UAA again.”
The Violets begin their new season during the weekend of Sept. 11-12 when they take part in the St. Lawrence University Invitational.