The Blackbirds host the annual Lonnie Barton Invitational at the LPGA International, the home of the NEC Championships for the past several years. A total of 14 teams will be in attendance, including Wagner, Siena, Central Connecticut, Sacred Heart, Fairfield, Monmouth, Lehigh, Delaware State, St. John's, Quinnipiac, Bucknell, Saint Francis U. and Albany.

"The girls have really dedicated themselves to the process in the off-season," said LIU Brooklyn head coach Natalie Desjardins, now in her fourth season. "They've built a lot of momentum going into the spring season and they are looking forward to the start at our home event." 

LIU Brooklyn is in good standing to win its fourth straight NEC Championship, as all five players from last year's title-winning team are back again. The Blackbirds enjoyed a very successful fall season as well, finished in the top-three in three tournaments, while also winning the highly competitive Rutgers Invitational.

Seniors Alice Boothroyd, Cristina Felip and Brianna Maynard are looking to make it a perfect four-for-four in their LIU golf careers, while juniors Victoria Fagan and Marisol Doglioli are looking for the third championship win.

"From one through five, each girl brings a key ingredient to the team," Desjardins said. "They are all so competitive and all have a chance to win every time they tee it up."

Boothroyd was an All-NEC second team honoree in 2013 after finishing third at the NEC Championship. She was 26th overall last season as the Blackbirds won their third straight title and trip to the NCAA Championships. She competed in all five events this fall, and tied for 26th at the St. John's Invitational.

Maynard, a two-time All-NEC pick, tied for third at last year's NEC Championships. She was named NEC Player of the Month in October, averaging a team-low 77.7 score and not once shooting a round over 80. She posted top-15 finishes at each of the three tournaments her team contested during that month, including placing fourth at the Rutgers Invitational carding scores of 76 and 72.

The 2012 NEC Individual Champion, Felip has earned a spot on an All-NEC Team throughout her first three years at LIU. She earned co-medalist honors at the Rutgers Invitational in October with a two-round score of 144. Felip was the NEC Player of the Month for September, posting two top-five finishes in the two tournaments contested, and was the top NEC finisher in both events, while averaging 75 per round.

After breaking multiple conference records last year, Doglioli has a chance to defend her 2014 NEC Tournament individual title. She broke the tournament record after recording a three-round score of 210, while also posted a record-low 66 in the final round of competition. She tied with Felip for fifth at the Towson Invitational in September. Doglioli was fifth outright at the St. John's Invitational, and tied for sixth at the Rutgers Invitational. 

Fagan improved steadily throughout the 2013-2014 season, before concluding her sophomore year with a career-best eighth place finish at the NEC Championships, and earning All-Tournament honors. This past fall, she tied for 26th at the St. John's Invitational, and made six-stroke improvement on the final day of the Delaware Invitational to finish the tournament.

Desjardins said the team dynamic has grown exponentially and plays a large part in the success of the Blackbirds.

"I tell the girls all the time, their team chemistry is what really makes them as good as they are on and off the golf course," she said. "They're always pushing each other, while being supportive."

After the Lonnie Barton Invitational, the Blackbirds compete at the Georgetown Hoya Invitational, Seton Hall Pirate Invitational, and Brown Invitational before culminating the season at the NEC Championships.  

"What's going to be key for us moving forward is learning from our experiences and adhering to the process," Desjardins said. "One tournament at a time, one hole at a time, one swing at a time."