Jan. 9, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill.--Northwestern men's tennis team again is setting its sights high in the 2004 season, determined to be among the Big Ten Conference's elite and make another trip to the NCAA tournament. Head coach Paul Torricelli thinks this season's squad will be one of the deepest and most talented he has had in several years.
"We have a determined group that was unhappy with last year's finish," says Torricelli, whose 2003 team went 10-12. "The guys worked extremely hard over the summer to get ready for this season. We look forward to getting back on track this season."
Torricelli wants to avoid the inconsistent play of last year, which ultimately hurt the Wildcats in the end. He hopes the depth he has this season will provide an advantage the team did not have last year.
The 'Cats will need every advantage they can get, too, with their tough nonconference schedule. Torricelli looks forward to the strength of the schedule, because it is a key factor for a successful, nationally ranked program.
NU will open its home season against Pepperdine, which will be making its first appearance in Evanston. The Waves are coached by former Northwestern assistant coach Adam Steinberg. The 'Cats also will be at home when they face three of their toughest opponents--Arkansas, Harvard and Notre Dame--all in the month of February.
In the Big Ten, all roads lead to Illinois, the defending national champion; the Wildcats will face the Fighting Illini April 4 at home. They are not the only threat in the conference, however, as Ohio State and Minnesota will be a pair of other top-20 programs for which NU will have to beware.
"The rest of the conference is in a huge pack, and that is where I see us right now," says Torricelli. "We are hopeful that we can break out of the pack and be one of those top teams."
One of the Wildcats that could lead the team to glory is junior Tommy Hanus, who seeks to get his third-straight 20-win season at the No. 1 position. Hanus is no slouch in doubles, either, racking up 37 wins in the last two years.
Right behind Hanus is junior Chuck Perrin, who will likely move up from the No. 4 spot at which he played last season. Perrin is coming off a year in which he and former Wildcat Jackie Jenkins won the adidas Invitational and were ranked as high as 10th in the country.
"Tommy has been our top player since midway through his freshman year. He has always accepted the challenge of playing at the top and that experience will be important this season," says Torricelli. "Chuck also is one of the real leaders on the team and, like Tommy, he will be a major factor in both singles and doubles."
Rounding out the top returnees is sophomore Adam Schaechterle, who will make an impact in both singles and doubles. The native of Oconomowoc, Wis. had a great freshman season, as he posted a team-best 24-13 doubles record and advanced to the doubles finals of both the ITA Midwest Regional Championships and the Milwaukee Tennis Classic.
"Adam started every match as a freshman and gained invaluable experience," says Torricelli. "I expect him to continue where he left off last season and play a major role for us once again."
Two other familiar faces to the NU team are Ahmed Wahla and Justin Hoeveler. The former compiled a 13-12 singles record last season and is the only senior on the team, while the latter is a junior who has made huge strides from last year and will probably see more playing time in 2004.
The rest of the team is composed of freshmen, one of Torricelli's largest recruiting classes. Each one will probably crack the lineup at some point this season.
"I am excited to have these four incoming players--all of whom are very talented--join the program," says Torricelli. "Obviously, they will be expected to contribute right away."
One of the new recruits, Christian Tempke, hails all the way from Germany, where he won the 2001 Hamburg amateur championship. Tempke is projected to play as high as No. 3 singles this year.
Classmate Matt Christian will likely start in singles and join Perrin in doubles. Christian had an outstanding prep career, winning the Michigan state singles title all four years and dropping just one match the entire time.
"Christian is one of our quickest players, with a very solid all-around game," notes Torricelli. "And Matt has shown real promise this fall and should help us in both singles and doubles."
Two more reasons for optimism are freshmen Willy Lock and Jamie Friedland. Lock was the No. 1 junior player in Peru and a Davis Cup Team member. Torricelli notes how well Lock covers the court and how exciting he is to watch.
Friedland, a former top-10 U.S. junior, will be another stand-out, according to Torricelli, who adds: "Jamie is a terrific competitor and will really make a difference for us this year."
Overall, Torricelli says the new class adds a lot of speed to the team, and that he anticipates them being a big part of the program for the next four years.
One other new addition to the Wildcat tennis team is assistant coach Arvid Swan, a standout at Michigan from 1994-98. Swan also was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer.
"Arvid brings instant credibility to our program," states Torricelli. "He was heavily recruited and respected as a junior player. Arvid will certainly help our players maintain a strong work ethic and balance as a student-athlete."
With an outstanding freshman class, experienced returnees and a challenging schedule, Northwestern's men's tennis team will look to make its mark in 2004.