April 12, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Things are not getting any easier for the Northwestern men's tennis team. Last weekend's action included a match against No. 3 Illinois, and this weekend the 'Cats face another top-ranked opponent in No. 23 Minnesota.
NU (11-6, 4-2 Big Ten) will face the Golden Gophers (10-5, 3-2 Big Ten) Friday at 6 p.m. in Minneapolis and will travel to No. 73 Wisconsin (8-8, 2-4 Big Ten) on Sunday for a 1 p.m. match. Playing a schedule that includes six top-25 teams, three of which are from the Big Ten Conference, has been a test for the Wildcats.
"This weekend is a big challenge," head coach Paul Torricelli says. "These are two tough teams. Their rankings and records speak for themselves."
In addition to the high level of competition-Minnesota's top singles player, Harsh Mankad, is currently No. 3 in the country-Torricelli is looking for his players to get back on track as a team after last weekend's losses.
"We have to challenge the level of play and change how hard we play," Torricelli said.
A pair of victories this weekend would secure NU's second-place spot in the Big Ten standings. The 'Cats are currently tied with Purdue at 4-2, while Illinois and No. 14 Ohio State remain undefeated in conference play.