50/50...

 

Back home!

Where did the week go?  Time just seems to keep passing faster and faster.  Perhaps a sign of getting older or something.  In any case, we are back in NY.  Certainly nice to rest in my own bed and see my family.  Not to mention a nice serving of porridge at matrix this morning. 

We concluded the trip with a 3-1 record.  Not a shabby start considering the competition and the adjustment to the out of doors.  We were able to sweep #33 Flagler 9-0 on Thursday.  It is never easy to win 9-0 but we actually needed to.  If you want to be among the best in the country, you must win in impressive fashion and not let dangerous teams hang around and sneak points out here and there.  The good news is that our scores were perhaps even more impressive vs. Flagler than some of the teams that are ranked ahead of us by the ITA.  We will get our chance later in the season to play some of these teams and we simply must cash in these opportunities to move up.

Friday was a big one for us.  We played #1 Armstrong Atlantic, the defending NCAA D2 champions and as I have said before, the best program in the country in my opinion.  I suppose that I knew that this would be a tall order for us at this point in the season but I also knew that I would learn something if not many things.  I was not thinking that this was a David vs. Goliath situation this year but it turned out so.  This time, however, David was outmatched 8-1.  One could enjoy the symbolism in the parking lot as we arrived for the match in our rental vans to see AASU's mode of transportation, or as I like to call it, the Bags of Cash Mobile...

 

On this day AASU would demonstrate why they are what they are.  They always seem to play very well against us and I like to think of that as a compliment.  It would be very easy for them to take us lightly and let us hang around in the match but they didn't.  They start fast, they play hard, and they don't stop until the match is over.  It was good for our guys to see this.  I have been preaching this for a long time but it never seems to make sense to the players until they see it.  We need to follow the approach of this team and play more like this team.  We have the talent to be successful.  I am so tempted to refer to what has been done wrong but our efforts are better placed so as to move forward with what is right.  I suppose that we could have been better at this point if we had bought into the work from day one but a stronger commitment at this point will only help us to get closer to our potential.  I will take responsibility for what we are at this point.  I am going to make sure that this team plays to its potential this year and every year going forward.  I really like my team!  I know that they are capable of great things.  I hope that they believe so too.  I think they do.  Of course, talk is cheap...actions are not. 

 

We now have a slate of matches versus local and conference opponents.  This is an opportunity to work on our weaknesses.  Certainly the competition is not as strong locally as it is when we travel but this does not mean we can take the competition lightly.  We absolutely will not.  We need to play at 100% if we want to improve otherwise these matches will actually hurt us and prevent progress.  I look forward to implementing new strategies and getting better.  We will get another chance to prove ourselves when we travel to West Florida at the end of the month.

 

Thanks to the players and Coach Neil for the enjoyable trip.  3-1 is a successful trip with wins over strong teams and a good start to the season.  I am excited for the rest of the season.

 

I was certainly pleased that we missed the NY snow storm and that the snow mostly melted by the time we arrived home.  Also, I was sad to have missed UK's big upset over the Florida Gators yesterday as we were flying the friendly skies.  It has been a tough season defending the championship for my Cats but this certainly made for a happy day!  Go Big Blue! #BBN.

 

Nuff said...



Good start...

 

Our spring trip, and I use the term "spring" loosely,  not that it is actually spring even in Florida, has started pretty well with two wins.  Temps struggled to get out of the 40's for the first few days in the sunshine state but at least there was indeed some sunshine to go with the cold, windy days. 

We were able to sneak out a win at Embry-Riddle Monday, the NAIA's #1 ranked team.  This is always a difficult match being our first day out of doors playing tennis.  In addition, ERAU always has a great team with players that are willing to do the work up and down the lineup.  I was pleased with most of the play as I really just was looking for the team to compete well, win or lose.  Well, I wanted to win too...We always seem to get exactly what we are looking for in the ERAU match.  It is always competitive, the conditions are fairly tough, and ERAU always fights for every point which makes us do the work so as to prepare for the matches to come.  I am so thankful that we are able to play this match and always enjoy chats with Coach Paschal who is a good guy and a great coach.

Our second match of the trip was a good one.  With a quick turn around time wise, as we returned to the condos after 9pm Monday night, we played and defeated Augusta State, the 9th ranked team in NCAA D2.  It was nice to be able to play this match close to "home" here at Flagler College and early in the day at 9:30am so as to have some free afternoon time.  

Wednesday was a day off so to speak although we did spend some time on the practice courts to get better.  I hope that we did and continue to do so.  I did a little sight seeing with Andrey as we headed over to the St. Augustine lighthouse and took some photos and got a nice history lesson.  We ended the day with a team dinner cooked up by Chef Tarangioli.  Delicious baked ziti with garlic bread was served and we are all certainly carbo-loaded for the near future for sure. 

Up early today with a visit to the complex gym.  Workout creativity reigns supreme as there is not a lot of equipment to work with.   That being said, I give a shout out to all the old timers that are there and putting in the time.  I like being called "young fella" as well.  I did break down and make a purchase at GNC as I really needed a protein fix.  I hate to support this overpriced retail organization but I had no choice.  GNC SUCKS!

We will head over to Flagler, who is #33 in D2, for a 2:30pm match.  We have a lengthy history with Flagler which began with only losses.  However, in recent years, we have come out of my favorite place in D2 tennis with wins.  I have pretty much made it known that I will be the next coach at Flagler if they will have me.

Friday we will be taking on Armstrong Atlantic, the #1 ranked team in D2.  This is a great challenge as, in my opinion, this is the best program in the country.  I always look forward to playing this team as, for me, they are the standard and the measuring stick.  These guys just flat out do it better than I do and I really want to get into their class.  It is difficult to be on that level this early in the season, but I really like my team and will certainly learn things from this match.

I will be back later and hope to have good news for you.

He's coming...

Nuff said...

A Win...

Finally we were able to get over the hump and tally a win versus Flagler. I was certainly happy to win but we still have much work to do. That being said, we are pretty tough to beat in certain spots. We will need the other positions in the lineup to progress to that level in the near future if we are to achieve our goals.

We continue to struggle in doubles and we seem to have difficulty playing at a high level and with intensity at #2 and #1. David and Andreas have found the good tennis and are a perfect 3-0 on the spring trip. I must admit that I am very surprised about our lack of success at #2. Dani and Geza are a heck of a team and should be winning. It is really up to the coaching staff to figure out what is going wrong and to correct it. We need that point day in and day out. #1 is a bit of a mystery. We simply have not been able to get a pair playing at a high level at the same time. They have done a great job competing with the best but have had trouble keeping the intensity level high for an entire match. We have seen opponents do just that and that has been the difference between winning and losing. I do believe that we have seen great improvement and it should continue. I have confidence in our guys and they are open to learn and hungry to improve.

Versus Flagler, we went down again early 2-1 after the doubles. Although this was not what we were looking for or expecting in our bounce-back effort, I did feel very confident that we would be able to win five, if not six singles matches.

As I mentioned, we are pretty tough in spots. Benas played very good first and third sets and really fought hard. He is representing himself well and is improving each and every day. Benas is a young man who works very hard on and off the court and has the right attitude to succeed. I could not be more pleased. He plays with energy and intensity and that is responsible for his solid play. It was nice to see him get a win. Dani was solid defeating his opponent rather easily at #2. Andreas continues to battle but could not gain a win in another close match. Once he adjusts to the out of doors, he will be a solid top of the lineup player. David is just a machine. He does not give opponents an inch and was able to win while surrendering only one game. He has been a very bright spot on the trip. Mark is working hard at #5 and was able to win routinely. He will have to continue to work hard on fitness and maintain focus throughout an entire match. I still believe that he will drop very few matches this season. Tomasz cruised to victory and is beginning to find his singles game. He certainly has the tennis ability to succeed and will be a very tough out when his conditioning and intensity match his ability.

When all was said and done, we won the match 6-3 versus a tough Flagler team. It was great to get a win and gain some momentum going into the Armstrong match. In my opinion, along with many other coaches, Armstrong is the best team in the nation and maybe one of the best teams we have seen recently in NCAA D2. They are really not easy to beat at any of the nine positions. However, I think that we will be ready to play our best match of the young season and will compete very well. I think that we may see some nice surprises on Friday. It is very important to have a strong showing. We feel that we are a better team than our play and results have shown and that we should really be 3-0. We are essentially just two points away from being undefeated. Of course the record is what it is and our opponents have done a better job on the big points. They have been tougher and have deserved to win.

There is some good news as Geza seems to be feeling better and may be ready to play singles at the top of the lineup. It will really help us to get him back in there and move everybody down a spot. I am sure he is ready to give us a big effort.

We have a practice day today and will continue to work hard on improving each day. I will be killing it at the gym and also looking forward to another run on the beach. It is funny how beach scenery makes a run much easier and more enjoyable. I will miss that when we return back to NY or at least until there is a Bronxville beach.

Nuff said...

Too Much Excitement...

Good morning friends. Sorry about the delay in posting but the schedule has kept me busy and in need of some relaxation time.

Great news to pass on again! We were able to defeat an improved and very strong Flagler team yesterday 5-4 (boxscore) in another thriller. We have had the better of Flagler these last few seasons after twenty some years of losses at the hands of the Saints and coaches Shinn and Peter Scott in the earlier years.

This time, we had our work cut out for ourselves. Anyone who knows sports is aware of how hard it is to bounce back and play well after an emotional and physical victory such as our six hour win over ERAU Tuesday. The coaching staff was unsure of what to expect out there versus Flagler but were still cautiously optimistic.

When we arrived, it was evident that Flagler was excited and pumped up for the match. They have had a strong start to their season and certainly have reason to be confident. We started the doubles a bit flat and fell behind early. We just never got it going at #1 and #3 and lost those matches somewhat easily. Flagler has a strong #1 and we could not afford to be anything but at our best. However, at #3, we just, well, stunk up the joint. David was showing early signs of fatigue after his long match the day before and Andreas had not yet found his good tennis and confidence. As a result, we were quickly outclassed 8-3. Tamas and Geza kept us in the match with a win at #2. Certainly a match needed if you want to have any chance in the nine point format.

Needing four points to win the match, we started the singles. We felt confident in three spots but were not sure where the fourth (or fifth and sixth) would come from. Indeed we were able to capture #2, #4 and #6 to go ahead of the Saints 4-2. However, we were behind on all remaining courts. David was fighting hard but just didn't have anything left in the tank today. Also, his opponent was not helping his cause as he was rock solid. As a result, Flagler amassed their third point here at #3. Andrey had lost his first set and was playing a top ten ranked opponent in the NCAA II. He did manage to battle back but eventually lost his contest 7-5 in the third set. Andreas was down early as well and things were not looking so good for us. However, he was able to find his confidence and pulled out what was the match of the day 7-5, 7-5. This was so important for Andreas who has been struggling to find his good form. His opponent was very tough and was one of the best hustlers I have ever seen on the court. If Andreas did not play well, he would not have been able to give us our fifth point. Thankfully he did. All in all another great college tennis match. Flagler was very impressive. They are a strong team and a class act for sure. Win or lose, always a gracious and hospitable Coach Shinn as well and I thank him for that.

Also, always a pleasure to catch up and visit with friends Elden and Debbie Kamla who live in the St. Augustine area. The Kamla family is familiar to Concordia as Elden was head men's basketball coach and AD at the college in the 1980's. They are always very generous and supportive of our team and we certainly appreciate their friendship. I also appreciate their loyal blog following. We love coming to Florida each spring and they are one of the reasons we enjoy the week so much. Many thanks.

Today we are off to the Winter Park to play #6 Rollins. This is a big one for us and a great opportunity to move up in the rankings. Rollins is very tough and will be playing in front of their home fans. We will have to be at our best once again to win this one. For some reason, I am pretty confident. I have been impressed with the team so far and just hope that the consecutive matches is not too much for them. We shall see. If you are in the area, stop by for the match at 2pm and say hello.

Nuff said...

My laptop survives another day...

The Clippers got into the spring trip win column by beating up on #16 Flagler College 8-1 Wednesday. Finally, the good tennis showed itself and the fellas produced results that we have all been expecting. Flagler had been red hot, making a huge jump in the recent NCAA II rankings.

Singles:

1. #6 David Cotrone (FCM) def. #2 GRUBIN, Alex (CNYMT910) 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-8)
2. #3 BOLDAREV, Andrey (CNYMT910) def. Gino Ramirez (FCM) 6-3, 6-0
3. NAMIAS, Raphael (CNYMT910) def. Harry Snoxell (FCM) 6-4, 6-1
4. DOBROTKA, Tamas (CNYMT910) def. Peter Coulis (FCM) 6-2, 6-3
5. MISSAL, Felix (CNYMT910) def. Tim Hansson (FCM) 6-2, 6-3
6. LINDELL, Andreas (CNYMT910) def. Mason Addison (FCM) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles:

1. #1 GRUBIN, Alex/BOLDAREV, Andrey (CNYMT910) def. David Cotrone/Gino Ramirez (FCM) 8-5
2. LINDELL, Andreas/DOBROTKA, Tamas (CNYMT910) def. Harry Snoxell/Tim Hansson (FCM) 8-6
3. NAMIAS, Raphael/MISSAL, Felix (CNYMT910) def. Stephen Coulis/Mason Addison (FCM) 8-3

The Clippers will head down to Daytona Beach, not for spring break but to play Embry Riddle University Thursday, 3/4/10 at 3:30pm. The Clippers have never beaten the Eagles yet hope to end the spring trip on a positive note.

Nuff said...