Eastern’s women’s golf team will look to bottle its successful fall campaign and carry it into in its first match of the Spring season.

The Panthers will travel to the far west coast to compete in the East/West Rio Verde Collegiate in Arizona.

“There isn’t a tournament that we can’t win or compete in this Spring session,” Eastern head coach Jay Albaugh said.

The Panthers earned three second-place finishes during the Fall session and had three players averaged lower than 8-over-par 80. The Panthers will rely heavily on experienced players this season as seniors Tyra Fredricks, Kristin Hoff and junior Amanda Minchin will lead the six-player squad.

Fredricks earned a Top-10 individual finish in each of her four meets this fall and posted three under par rounds. Currently, the Panthers’ top player has shaved seven strokes off her 2001-2002 average.

Hoff started the fall season with a second place finish (73-72 – 145) after falling in the sudden death playoff at the Cardinal Classic hosted by Ball State University. However, Hoff ended the session with seven of her last eight rounds in the 80s and didn’t receive another Top-10 finish.

Minchin has dropped her average score three strokes to a 6-over-par 78 and took home three consecutive Top 10 finishes. The Saskatchewan native tied Fredricks with a 5-over-par 149 at the very difficult Great Smokies Invitational at Waynesville (N.C.) Country Club.

Albaugh is concerned about the chilling temperatures creating a rusty start to the spring session especially in the short game department.

“Because of the weather, we haven’t done anything involved in the short game,” Albaugh said. “We may struggle out of the gate because of our rusty layoff and the lack of practice time.”

The 11-team field will compete at the Quail Run course (par 72, 6,069 yards) which challenges players with well placed bunkers, eight water hazards and Bermuda greens which are known to be difficult to read.

The overall favorite will be the Toledo Rockets who are predicted to finish second in the Mid American Conference and are led by juniors Sara Boogaard and Breanne Hall.

Eastern and Western Michigan will by hosting the event with other schools competing Arkansas Little-Rock, Chicago State, Cleveland State, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Loyola, North Texas and Xavier.