Things are looking good this season for the NIU women’s golf team. Head coach Pam Tyska expects a banner year from her squad for obvious reasons.

“This is my team, ” Tyska said. “This is my first season with all of my own recruits and if we don’t do well I’m to blame.”

Her new recruits include seniors Mishelle Reed, Sharon Humphrey, Cindi Watson, and other standouts Nicole Jeray and Kim Hodge. Past performances from these players suggest that Tyska’s expectations are justified.

Junior Nicole Jeray won the Ohio Girl’s championship in Columbus this summer. Also, she took the trophy at the Metropolitan Sizzler Championship at Cog Hill in Lemont. When she wasn’t winning trophies, Jeray played in the Futures Golf Tournament in Florida where Tyska once worked. Jeray and Mishelle Reed will compete for the top spot on the team according to Tyska.

So far, Tyska doesn’t have to worry about taking any blame. Her team traveled to Notre Dame over the Labor Day weekend to compete in the Notre Dame Irish Invitational. The Huskies top fivesome combined to shoot 637 and take the tournament by two strokes over Purdue University.

Tyska’s explanation was simple. “We capitalized on low scores when other teams found trouble,” she said.

Jeray led the charge with a 72 on the last day, earning medalist honors. Sophomore Kim Hodge finished in a tie for third with a two day total of 158.

After cleaning house at Notre Dame, the Huskies look for much of the same at the Iowa State University Cyclone Classic this weekend. “Most of the same teams will be there except for Nebraska,” Tyska said.

Down the road the Huskies will compete in the Illinois State Invitational. This will be a big stop for Tyska’s team for a number of reasons. “Most of the girls like the ISU course because they remember it from the high school state tournament,” Tyska said. There is also one other factor. Tyska graduated from Illinois State and doesn’t mind beating ISU on its home course.

In addition, Tyska points to the Lady Northern Invitational in Madison, Wis. This one provides all of the quality competition from the Big Ten.

When the team travels this much, there is a limited amount of practice time during the season. Tyska’s role is to instruct her players during practice rounds. “I try to give them a good understanding of their golf swing,” Tyska said. She uses a “personal error correction” system. “The more they know, the better off they are since I can’t coach during tournament play,” Tyska said.

The Huskies will get more tough Big Ten competition when they go to East Lansing, Mich. for the Spartan Fall Invitational at the end of September. Besides the Big Ten, Tyska cites the Big Eight as a source of tough competition.

The team will stay home at least once this fall when they host their own tournament at the Oak Club of Genoa. The Northern Illinois Huskie Classic will mark the end of the fall season. It will be held on the weekend of October 7.

The following spring schedule has the Huskies competing in Florida in their Northern Illinois Snowbird Classic. There will also be the usual match-ups against teams from the Big Ten.