The Boston University men’s golf team looks to open its fall season on a high note this weekend at Central Connecticut State University’s Blue Devil Invitational, in what will be the first test of the season for a squad that is still seeking to finalize its roster.

Leading the way this year for the Terriers is sophomore Steven Smith, who was one of the team’s most consistent players last year as a freshman and will be looking to capitalize upon the experience and course familiarity he gained during his first season.

Smith will join fellow sophomores Ben Rhodeside and Jordan Delaney, along with graduate student Tushar Modi, on a team looking to defy the odds stacked against them.

“[The University of] Vermont dropped off last year, and the other two teams are both scholarship teams,” said BU coach Gary Skrinar, noting that his squad does not have the monetary luxuries of league-mates, the University of Hartford and Binghamton University.

“Yeah it’s discouraging, not so much for me, but more for the guys that can put together a pretty good round relative to their personal scores, and still not have a chance. We just do the best we can.”

Women’s Golf

Unaffected by those problems is the women’s team, which is returning two all-conference players in hopes of claiming this year’s America East title.

Sophomore Haley Goucher and senior captain Leah Johnson headline a young squad that, thanks to an influx of freshmen, has added a critical dimension of depth over the summer.

“We have five good freshmen that have great swings, great fundamentals and that add a lot to the team,” said BU coach Cammy Landry, the America East Coach of the Year last season. “If for some reason some of the starters can’t travel or can’t play, we have strong backups to fill in their spots.”

The team will begin its title run at the Dartmouth Invitational this weekend in Hanover, N.H.

Men’s Tennis

The men’s tennis team is also opening up its season, competing across town at the Boston College Tournament. The event kicks off the Terriers’ fall schedule, which serves mainly to structure the lineup for the more important tournaments in the spring.

“The fall season is more geared toward the individual, trying to give us a look at the incoming freshmen and the returning players,” said BU coach Jeremy Taylor. “It gives us a nice idea of what we need to strengthen for the main spring season.”

After losing top-ranked player Geoff Wagner to graduation last spring, Taylor said he’s eager to develop his younger players. Most notable among that group is sophomore Barrett Wolf, who will be battling this fall to try and claim the first singles position. Wolf, though, will have stiff competition from fellow sophomore Ross Lohr and senior Nick Ganias.

“I think my team is probably one of the strongest teams that I’ve had yet,” said Taylor, whose Terriers will be participating in four tournaments this fall before spring play begins in February. “It’s just kind of nice to be back in the swing of things.”

Women’s Tennis

Easing into the season will be much harder for BU women’s tennis coach Lesley Sheehan, who is attempting to recover from the loss of three of her top four players from last year’s campaign, including No. 1 singles player, Lindsey Dynof.

“That’s a big chunk of the team gone,” said Sheehan, who said she’s confident that younger players will step up to fill the void. “We have these new players that are very eager and very determined to play, so it should be interesting to see how they do.”

Youth is not necessarily a detriment to this Terrier squad, as sophomore Erin Katims is leading the charge after an impressive freshman year playing both third singles and first doubles alongside Dynof. Gabrielle Hernandez will compliment Katims, along with juniors Laura Ahmes, Aimee Charest and Monica Shepherd.

Despite having no seniors, expectations remain high, and the Terriers will be looking to win an incredible 11th straight conference title.

“We’ll be seeded No. 1 until someone beats us,” Sheehan said. “We have a very strong chance to make it to the NCAA Tournament again, but we are also looking to do well nationally and get back onto the national rankings.”

The Terriers open their fall season on Friday at Dartmouth College’s annual Vokl Shootout in Hanover, N.H.