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2000-2001 News Archive
Schedule
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5/25/01 - End of Season
Dear Slug fans,
What a season! We finished with a bang reaching
the finals of the NCAA national team championship and winning both the
NCAA singles and doubles titles. Of the six National Championships up
for grabs this year the Slugs won four, had one second and one third.
Being the team we are I am certain that we would gladly give up the individual
titles for the NCAA team championship but it was great to play for the
team gold for the first time in three years.
Facing a tough draw as the fifth seed the Slugs
battled to a 4-0 victory over Emory University in the quarter finals.
Emory was the fourth seed and a very strong team coached by former Slug
John Browing. After winning the doubles point with wins at one and two
doubles Freshman Brian Casey started the singles with a 6-0,6-1 at five
singles. He was followed by Nick Cunningham who won in straight sets at
two singles to set up veteran Danny Kim for the clinching win at three
singles. Down 2-5 in the set and then 2-5 in the tiebreaker Danny fought
off a set point with a clutch winner off a backhand return before sealing
the deal. The win put the Slugs in the final four for the 14th time in
the last fifteen years!
In the semi final match UCSC faced top seed Gustavus
Adolphus who entered the match with a 35-1 record. We had beaten them
in the National Indoor tournament for their only previous loss coming
back from a 1-3 deficit in a thrilling match. The NCAA semi final was
no less spectacular as we again faced an uphill fight down 1-3 with three
singles matches remaining. Nick Cunningham even the match at 1-1 before
Derek Fitzpatrick lost at one singles and Danny Kim lost at three singles.
With our backs to the wall Carlos Gonzalez started the comeback with a
7-6, 6-0 win at six singles. Down set point Carlos crushed two consecutive
aces leading to a dominating second set. Brian Casey leveled the match
with a 7-6,7-6 win at five singles setting the stage for senior Peter
Gladkin at four singles. With the team score tied at 3 all Peter was down
2-3 in the third set. From here Peter hit the gas! Playing brilliant and
inspired tennis Peter won the final four games to put the Slugs in the
finals! His composure and ability to step up in the clutch were a joy
to behold and I could not have been prouder of Peter and his teammates!
In the finals we faced Williams College in a rematch
of the 1998 NCAA team championship match. We came out very focused in
dominating the doubles. We clinched with wins from Derek and Nick at one
doubles and Peter and Danny at two with Brian and Carlos leading and playing
their best doubles of the tournament at three doubles. In singles Nick
won the first set at two singles and Brian won the first set at five singles.
Derek dropped a close set at one after reaching set point. Their singles
strength began to take it's toll as Williams won first sets at four spots.
All our players battled hard and I felt if we could have gotten any of
the matches into a third set we would have had a great opportunity to
win the three singles required for the championship. Of their top six
players five of them had played at the National Junior Championships at
Kalamazoo. In the twenty two year history of Slug Tennis we have had only
one player ever that played at Kalamazoo so they definitely had the advantage
in experience and background. Because of our courage to set such lofty
goals and the depth of our competitive fire our guys were deeply hurt
by finishing second in the team tournament. I applaud this courage and
share their pain but have no regrets for the quality of their effort.
In the singles and doubles competition I was very
pleased to see Derek and Nick play so well. After facing a set and 0-3
deficit in his first round singles match Derek did not drop another set
in winning the NCAA singles title. He and Nick were equally devastating
in winning the NCAA doubles title without the loss of a single set and
having only one extended set. Their combination of quality ball striking,
superior tactics, athleticism, and competitive maturity was very gratifying
to watch and was a great way to end a wonderful season. (The Slug web
site at goslugs.com has some great pictures and detailed articles from
the tournament links) By winning the first National Team Indoor Championship,
the National Rolex Small College Doubles championship, and the singles
and doubles NCAA National Championships the Slug netters put their stamp
on the 2001 season. I will really miss our three great seniors and their
families as we face a new era of Slug Tennis. There are so many people
I want to thank starting with our great players on this team. Their passion,
competitiveness, compassion and love for eachother and this program were
a marvel to be associated with. As usual many fans and parents from the
other teams expressed their appreciation of the quality of our play and
our attitude. Jerry Lynch did an outstanding job creating a link between
out hearts, minds and bodies that allowed us to play all out in a bold
and courageous manner. Dr Warren Scott did great work in helping us deal
with the demands on our bodies with his excellent care and advice. All
our tennis parents provided love and support without which we could not
have been able to perform at such a high level or had the opportunities
to train and compete. Thanks to all at OPERS who lend support and help.
It was great to have Peter and Vicki Gladkin, Rapheal Gonzalez and his
girls, and Jeff Stevens join us in Indiana. Special thanks to Doug and
Nina Fitzpatrick for all their kindness and generosity and congratulations
to Derek for being named the "Senior of the Year". It was a
wonderful year and I am grateful to all of our fans and supporters for
all your help in creating a program we can all be proud of. Please stay
in touch and let me know if any of you are interested in playing in the
Golf Marathon fund raiser on Wed June 13th.
Sincerely,
Coach Bob Hansen and the Slugs
5/14/01 - Seedings for NCAA Finals
Dear Slug Fans,
A couple of trying days! We got our bid to the NCAA tournament and I was
sorely disappointed with the results. I have gone to great length with
all them members of the selection committee and yet have not been able
to convince them that they made a big mistake leaving Danny Kim and Peter
Gladkin out of the individual doubles. We will be represented by Derek
Fitzpatrick and Nick Cunningham in doubles and Derek, Nick and Danny in
singles. This is still and enviable position for any team but I feel very
strongly that Peter and Danny deserve to be in the tournament. In the
team event we were put as the two team from the west even though we have
beaten the top teams from the Midwest, East, and South this year. Redlands
win over us seems to take priority over the rest of the year we have had
and our only choice is to show what we are capable of at the tournament.
We are to play Emory in the first round coached by former Slug John Browning.
They have a great team and it should be a wonderful match. We beat them
earlier in the year in the finals of the National Team Indoors. That match
is to be played on Friday at 11:00. The winner of our first round is scheduled
to play the winner of the Gustavus Adolphus MIT match Saturday at 10:30.
You can follow the results over the web by linking to athletics at the
Depauw web site at www.depauw.edu. We could use all you care and support
so think good thoughts!!!!
On another plane we are having our semi annual golf
marathon on Wednesday June 13th at Rancho Canada Golf Club in Carmel Valley.
We are looking for adventurous folks who would like to play 100 holes
of golf and raise pledges per hole for their efforts. Please send me a
note if you are interested or if you know a golf fanatic that would! I
will be hitting up the non players for a donation so join in on the fun!
Best wishes and I will next send you an update on
our return. We will be at the Super 8 hotel in Plainfield for the first
couple of days at 317/837-8888 and then move closer to the Hoiday Inn
Express in Cloverdale at 765/795-5050 starting on Sunday. Thanks again
for all your support.
Sincerely, Bob and the Slugs
5/14/01 - Slugs Advance To NCAA Finals
Dear Slug Fans,
Thanks so much to all of you that made the match.
It was so nice to see all of you and we sincerely appreciate your support.
Special thanks to Sean Sullivan and his great crew of student helpers
as well as all the help provided by the service center, athletic training
and maintenance crew. It was a very well run event that we can all be
proud of. On to the match..... We played Pacific Lutheran, the top team
from the Pacific Northwest and they were playing very well. We were pressured
in doubles before winning at number one doubles in a tiebreaker to clinch
the doubles point. We got a great effort from Brian Casey and Carlos Gonzales
at three doubles as they dominated from the outset. Derek Fitzpatric set
the tone in singles winning 6-2,6-1 at one singles and was followed by
Nick Cunningham who also won in straight sets at two singles. Brian Casey
had the match on his racket in the second set but his opponent faught
back to force a deciding third set that Brian controlled throughout winning
6-0. The match was suspended with the score 4-1 with Danny Kim and Carlos
Gonzales just preparing to start third sets. We showed some first round
jitters but I am pleased to be heading to Indiana to begin play in the
quarter finals at Depauw University on Friday May 18th. We will find out
later today who we will be playing and I will forward that information
as well as where we will be staying during the tournament. Special thanks
do all the wonderful parents that made the trip to Santa Cruz and thanks
to the Fity's for hosting the special mother's day dinner following the
match. It was great to see some Slug Alums several of which were on championship
teams that kept the old coach focused. I am sincerely appreciative for
all the great support we receive, without which we would not be able to
run this type of program, from the school, our parents, our supporters
and fans. We are alive in our drive for five and will keep you all posted.
Best wishes to all, Bob and the Slugs
5/8/01 - UCSC to host NCAA Regionals
Dear Slug Fans,
We did finally get the official bid to host one of the two sites for the
2001 Western Regional NCAA National Tennis Championships on Friday and
Saturday May 11 and 12. On Friday Pomona Pitzer, coached by former Slug
member of the 1995 NCAA Championship team Ryan Witt, will play Pacific
Lutheran at 1:00. The winner of this match will play UC Santa Cruz on
Saturday at 1:00. Both matches will be played at the East Fieldhouse courts.
We expect a good crowd and I would love to see as many of you as possible
to send off our three great senior leaders. We are hoping this match will
lead us to the final site which this year is in Indiana at Depauw University
on May 18-20 for the team event and May 21-13 for the individual championships.
The entire team is excited about the work ahead and feel ready for the
many challenges we will face. This is a great year for Div lll tennis
with tremendous balance across the country. The top seeds in each region
are deep and talented and there are many other teams that could present
challenges on a given day. I really like the character we have on this
team and I feel that we can win at each spot in the lineup. If we can
maintain our health, stay focused, and embrace the challenge we should
be tough to beat. We look forward to our meeting with Jerry Lynch and
appreciate all the care and support of our many fans. Please join us this
Saturday and if you can't make it physically follow us on the web at GoSlugs.com.
Best wishes,
Bob Hansen and the Slugs
4/27/01 - Slugs Dominate Ojai Tournament
Dear Slug Fans,
What a great trip! We could not have done a better job as a team positioning ourselves for individual bids at Nationals as we stepped up at every opportunity throughout this great Ojai tournament. Brian Casey defeated the top Freshman in the region, JR Hall of Pomona Pitzer, in the first round by scores of 6-1,6-2. Brian showed his growth as a player and his tenacity in a well rounded effort. The top four Slugs also moved through the first round in relatively easy fashion with dominating effectiveness. In the second round the top three of Derek Fitzpatrick, Nick Cunningham and Danny Kim all advanced with straight set wins setting up key quarter final matchups. Derek, the top seed in the tournament, beat Redlands Freshman Brian Murphy 6-2, 7-6. Nick Cunningham drew Claremont's number one player who had beaten him in a close match earlier in the season and showed great maturity and poise in easily defeating him 6-2,6-3. It was great to see him figure out this matchup and learn from the prior match. Danny Kim faced Redland's number one player and one of the top players in the region. Danny's only Div lll loss of the season had come to this same player in the semi finals of the fall West Regional championships but this time Danny stepped up and defeated Steve Marshburn 6-3,6-3. With three Slugs in the semis we were assured of one finalist but Derek defeated veteran Chan Ly of Champman to assure an all Slug singles final. The other semi was a battle between Nick and Danny and it could have gone either way with Danny prevailing 4-6,7-6,6-2. The final was a beautiful match with Derek holding off 8 set points before prevailing 7-6, 6-1. It was some of the best quality Div lll tennis I have seen and I was a very proud coach. Many fans and coaches commented on the quality of the play and I was very pleased about our preparation and quality of play. In doubles the nations top team of Derek and Nick rolled through the top half of the draw without dropping a set. Danny and Peter Gladkin faced a tough draw and knowing they had to reach the final to be one of the top four teams in the region for NCAA selection purposes. After a three set victory in the first round they faced the second seeded team of Chan Ly and Cory Beachum in the quarter finals and prevailed 6-4,3-6,6-4. In the semi finals they faced Redlands top team of Marco Bravo and Rob Candiotty. Down a set and struggling they found a new gear and won the second set. In the third set they were down again 2-4 before breaking back on a great topspin lob and forcing a deciding tiebreaker. As we had all tournament we played our best under pressure and won the breaker 7-3. The final was a three set beauty with Nick and Derek coming back from down a set and a break to win 6-3 in the third. It was the last match on at this great tournament and many said it was the best of the day's doubles matches with great play from all four players. It was a coaches dream to see our players play so well under pressure, have so much fun, and handle themselves with such great class and integrity. Brian Casey and Carlos Gonzalez witnessed the great strength and resilient's of our veterans and were motivated to become the leaders of the next generation of Slug history. They were champions in the finest sense of the word and I am very proud of the effort from the entire team. We will be hosting regionals on May 11 and 12 Fri Sat and I will forward more details as they become available. Thanks to all our great tennis parents-Doug, Nina, Peter, Vicki, Rafael, and Lynn- for making the trip and supporting the team. Thanks again to Dr Warren Scott for keeping the team healthy. Great to see recruits Teige Sullivan who won the Ojai High School Doubles and Tim Mullane who also played the tournament. Three past Slug players who are now coaches, Ryan Witt at Pomona, Pat Henson at Marymount College and Lance Kronberg at Santa Barbara City College were at the tournament with their teams and it was great to see them enjoying coaching. It was a very great weekend for Slug Tennis and all of your help and support is greatly appreciated. The players reminded me that this is the fourth straight year that we have won both the singles and doubles in this great event. Congratulations to Slugs past and present. Sincerely, Coach Hansen and the Slugs
4/27/01 - Ojai Tournament This Weekend
Dear Slug Fans,
We are done with our dual match season ending with a loss to Santa Clara
University making our record 12-5. We had another sterling performance
by Freshman Brian Casey and battled hard at most spots in the line up.
We are leaving today for Ojai which has a big impact on the selections
of individuals for the NCAA tournament. We got a very good bid in having
all three of our doubles team participate and all six of our singles players.
The team really loves this event and we have done very well since the
Div lll portion of the tournament was started several years ago. Ojai
is the longest running tournament in the the country at the same site
with a very rich 100 plus years of great play at this wonderful venue.
For updated information and draws look on the web at ojaitourney.org.
They post the matches soon after they are played so it is fun and possible
to follow our progress. We play the first day, Friday at Moranda Park.
The address is 200 Moranda Parkway in the town of Port Hueneme. The second
day we play at Villanova School which is in the Ojai Valley at E Villanova
Rd and N Ventura Ave. On the Ojai site there is directions to each site
via map blaster. We are staying the first couple of nights at the Motel
6 in Ventura 805 643-5100. We will stay Saturday in the Valley at a yet
to be determined site. All the teams that lose early will provide us with
a place to stay! Hope to see some of you there and the rest can web surf
your way along! Thanks again to the great work of Jerry Lynch keeping
our minds and spirits in shape and to Warren Scott for keep our bodies
in tact. As always thanks for the loving support of our parents and fans.
Talk to you soon. Bob Hansen and the Slugs
4/22/01 - Senior Day
Dear Slug fans,
It was not pretty but we got it done! The Slugs slimed the Cosacks 4-3
on senior day as we closed out our final dual match of the year. With
Senior Derek Fitzpatrick battling the flu and sitting out of singles we
were able to win three singles matches at number two with senior Danny
Kim winning 6-3, 6-3 and at number three with Peter Gladkin playing one
of his best singles matches of the year in winning 6-2,6-2 and the freshman
rock Brian Casey winning at number four singles 6-1,6-2. UCSC won the
doubles point by winning at number two doubles with Peter and Danny winning
8-5 and at three doubles with Brian and Carlos Gonzalez winning 8-6 after
trailing 5-2. All three of our singles losses were in three sets as Nick
Cunningham lost to one of the top Div ll players in the country Nestor
Bernabe and Carlos and Jake Moya let first set wins slip. I was glad to
see the seniors step up but I was unhappy with the lack of focus we showed
is some spots. We play Santa Clara tomorrow, Monday, before preparing
for Ojai next weekend. I will enclose some comments about our seniors
for all to see and thanks to all who came to see the final home dual match
of the year.
I'd like to say a few words about our five seniors.
First of all this has been a very special year, in great part because
of sharing it with these fine young men. They have all been leaders in
this program and have, as a group, been a big part of our success. All
have given a great deal to this program and have grown a great deal in
the process. Their collective courage, compassion for each other, dedication,
desire to excel and willingness to work have been a joy to be around.
They have accomplished a lot. They have all been a part of two National
Team Championships.
The first senior I would like to recognize is Brian
Ebel. Brian has always distinguished himself with his hard work, willingness
to deal with difficulty, and doing whatever necessary to contribute to
the team's success. A wrist injury has kept him from playing late this
season.
The next senior I would like to recognize is Jake
Stevens our assistant coach. Besides playing his best tennis this season
he has proven to be a hugh addition to the coaching staff with his compassion,
drive and support. He has helped me in very significant ways to prepare
this team and I am happy to say he might come back next season.
The next three seniors have all been honored as
multiple time All-American selections. Peter went an entire year without
losing a doubles match within our division, winning every dual match and
tournament he played including two national doubles titles. Danny was
the national Rookie of the Year and national Penn Player to watch. Derek
is this year's Senior Player of the Year and currently ranked number one
in the country in doubles and 3 in singles. They have accomplished a great
deal. Above their accomplishments I would like to thank Peter for his
sense of humor, willingness to be honest and forthright, and for challenging
me to look at how I can best serve this team. I would like to thank Danny
for his courage and love of the battle. His enthusiasm for this team and
the game has been a real inspiration to everyone. I would like to thank
Derek for his care and compassion for everyone in this program as well
as his love of the game. He has never slowed in his desire to improve
or his kindness to others. They will all be greatly missed but will always
be a big part of my life and a big part of this program. Please join me
in thanking these players and their families for their great contributions
to Slug Tennis.
Best wishes, Bob Hansen and the Slugs
4/16/01 - Weekend UC Matches
Dear Slug Fans,
The Slugs had a wonderful and productive Easter
weekend defeating two strong Division ll and fellow UC rival schools,
UC San Diego and UC Davis. On Friday with Senior leader Danny Kim sidelined
with a wrist injury we got strong performances up and down the lineup
with great contributions from reserves Mark West in doubles and Jacob
Moya in singles. The Tritons of UCSD came out strong in doubles by winning
the doubles point with 9-7 wins at one and two doubles. Peter Gladkin
and Mark West played very well before losing 9-7 to UCSD's top two singles
players. At one doubles Derek Fitzpatrick and Nick Cunningham, coming
off a win against the top ranked Div ll team in the country from Hawaii
Pacific, battled back from a two break deficit to knot the match at 7
all before falling 9-7. At three doubles Brian Casey and Carlos Gonzalez
showed continued improvement in beating a strong team 8-4. This was by
far their best doubles effort to date and reflects their strong practice
efforts. In singles Brian Casey evened the match with devastating performance
at number four singles with a 6-0,6-1 victory over a local player from
Aptos, Sean Higginbotham. Next off was Jacob Moya who beat Everett Schroeter
6-0, 7-5. Jacob let a 4-1 lead in the second set slip and faced a tough
task as his opponent served for the set at 5-4. I was pleased to see Jacob
reassert himself in winning the final three games showing great poise
and character. At one singles Nick Cunningham beat a very good player,
Sameer Chopra, in a tough three set battle 6-2,6-7,7-5 showing great creativity
and fighting spirit. I don't think Nick had his best stuff working but
won with tenacity, athletisism and will. At two singles Derek Fitzpatrick
played a very solid a tacticly sound match in a close 7-6,6-3 victory
over Michaael Meyer. Carlos Gonzales played one of his toughest singles
matches of the year coming back after dropping the first set for a 6-7,6-1,6-2
victory over former UCSC player Cory Moderhak. I was very pleased to see
Carlos win this match with his mental toughness. Peter Gladkin was our
only singles player who lost but he played a brilliant first set before
falling to a very good player, Jeff Wilson, also from Aptos 2-6,6-4,6-1.
It was a great day with a large number of spectators to witness this 5-2
victory.
On Easter Sunday we played a rain make up against
Division ll powerhouse UC Davis. They have a great lineup and we had a
wonderful battle at every spot. UCSC won the doubles with victories at
one and two doubles. Nick and Derek won easily at one with an 8-3 victory
over Greg Lee and Yaro Vinogradsky. At two doubles Danny Kim was back
in the lineup and he and partner Peter Gladkin defeated Payam Tabar and
Creighton Macy 9-8 winning the deciding tiebreaker 7-0. Peter played very
well and his return of serve was the deciding factor in the match. In
singles all three of UCSC's victories came in three sets. At number two
singles Nick Cunningham beat Yaro Vinogradsky 4-6,6-1,7-6 winning the
deciding tiebreaker 7-0! Nick was very solid off the ground and did a
great job taking charge of the match by playing further into the court
in the last two sets. At five singles Brian Casey played another very
solid match in winning 6-2,2-6,6-3 over a very experienced and talented
player, Payam Tabar. Our final point came from Carlos Gonzalez who showed
great character and poise by winning the final three games after his opponent
served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. I was so pleased to see
Carlos's continued development in his mental game as he was very calm
and consistent in closing out the match. Danny Kim retired down 4-1 in
the third with cramps after Carlos clinched the match. Derek Fitzpatrick
showed great fight and very good movement at the net in coming back from
a set and 2-5 down to extent the match to three sets. He lost 6-3,6-7,6-3
at one singles to Greg Lee. On the whole it was a tremendous match with
everyone playing well and competing hard. Next up for the Slugs is UOP
Wed April 18 in Stockton. We are back home Sun April 22 against Sonoma
State University at 1:00. Thanks to Dr Warren Scott for his help with
the whole team but especially Danny Kim. Special birthday cheer to Mary
Cunningham. Nick gave a great birthday effort! Thanks to Tim and Jerry
Mullane and Bryce and Duke Parmelly for coming up for visits and thanks
to all the Slug fans for sharing these great matches with us.
Best wishes,
Bob Hansen and the Slugs
4/9/01 - Slugs Play Well in Loss to Div. Hawaii Pacific
Dear Slug Fans,
We had a wonderful match against Hawaii Pacific
on Saturday April 7. Although we lost 6-3 we learned a great deal and
positioned ourselves to win against a very good, highly ranked Div ll
team. Their coach called to congradulate us and hopefully reschedule for
next year saying that our team played courageously and he was very impressed
with our doubles. Nick Cunningham and Derek Fitzpatrick are the top ranked
team in Div lll tennis and they beat the number one ranked and previously
undefeated Div ll team of Jan Tribler and Wojtek Bratek 8-4. Our return
games were outstanding and with some work on holding more efficiently
we will be tough to beat against anyone at one doubles. We played the
best match of the year at three doubles with Brian Casey and Carlos Gonzalez
defeating a very good team 8-4. They are getting more and more comfortable
making adjustments and our work at the net was outstanding. Carlos served
exceedingly well in the wind and supported Brian's serve very effectively.
Brain is developing his net game in singles and doubles and is seeing
the plays far earlier. In singles we had great efforts form everyone with
super efforts from Derek at one singles in extending the number one singles
player in the country to three sets, Danny Kim at three singles who also
lost a close three setter where he served for the first set, and Brian
Casey who won in three sets. Brian continues to show an amazing and consistent
fighting spirit to compliment his steady baseline game. The addition of
his improved play at the net has resulted in a well rounded singles approach
that has left him with the best singles record on the team. Carlos Gonzalez
looked in control early but hit a rough patch his opponent was able to
capitalize on to win in two close sets. After his great doubles outing
Nick Cunningham played well in singles despite having played sparingly
recently due to arm problems.
Overall it was a great effort that will move us
closer to being ready for the NCAA Team championship. Thanks to our fans
and especially for the continued efforts of the Fitzpatrick's for bringing
refreshments and special birthday wishes to Nina! We play this Friday
against UCSD at 2:00 at the East Courts and Sunday against UC Davis at
1:00. Hope to see you there!
Best wishes, Coach Bob Hansen
4/4/01 - Upcoming Matches
Dear Slug Tennis Fans,
We have just played one match since spring break
and we overpowered Westmont College of Santa Barbara 9-0. We looked strong
at all spots and I was especially pleased with the continued improvement
of our doubles teams. We sat out Nick Cunningham in singles to rest his
arm and got a great singles effort from reserve Mark West as 6 singles.
They, (Westmont), have had a very strong team in the past and now have
their coach back after several years away from the program. I fully expect
them to be stronger next time we face them. I would like to list our remaining
matches in hopes that you will be able to see the team play. We are home
against one of the top Div ll teams in the country, Hawaii Pacific, on
Sat April 7th at 1:00. They are very good from top to bottom with a line
up of all very experienced foreign players. A very good test! Next we
play a much improved UC San Diego team on Friday April 13th at 1:30. They
easily defeated Redlands this year and are now in Div ll. I look forward
to a great match. On Sunday April 15, yes Easter Sunday, we play UC Davis
in a rescheduled match at 1:00. We travel to Stockton on Wed April 18th
to play a top 50 Div l team, U of Pacific. We are in Santa Cruz to play
our final pre nationals home match against Sonoma State Sun April 22 at
1:00 and travel to Santa Clara on Monday April 23 to play Santa Clara
U at 2:00. The Ojai Western Regionals on April 27-29 wrap up the regular
season. This is a wonderful tournament in all regards and one we really
look forward to. We face some real strong tests for the end of the regular
season and will need to demonstrate the character of a championship team
if we are to enter post season play healthy, confident and fully prepared.
Congratulations to the Slug women's tennis team
for their win over Redlands. This is by far the most significant win in
Dave's tenure as coach and it was fun to see the joy and satisfaction
it brought to the entire team. I am reminded of how spoiled we have gotten
as we beat the winners of the last two NCAA National Team tournaments
on back to back days and it was business as usual. We are so fortunate
to have the opportunities we have and I never want to lose sight of the
day to day joy of meeting these great challenges. This year we are blessed
with three seniors that have given so much to this program in Derek, Danny
and Peter. I often think of how much they will be missed and make note
to appreciate how much they mean to me and this program. There is something
very special in winning a championship that is undeniable and a most worthy
goal. It is something I want badly to share again with this team. The
greater joy, by far, is definitely in the process each day. So often I
hear the alumni speak of all the growth they experienced while here and
how much in retrospect they could have learned if they had realized at
the time what an incredible chance they had each day to participate fully
in the process. My hope is to convey to this team that today is the best
day of rest of their lives and to enjoy and benefit from it fully. I am
very lucky to have many such players on this years team and it makes them
very enjoyable to work with.
We have had a great season so far winning the first
ever Div lll ITA National Indoor Championship, having a great Spring Break
trip, and looking forward to the remainder of the season. Thank to all
our great Slug tennis fans and I will keep you posted as we continue out
Drive for Five!
Best wishes, Bob Hansen
3/26/01 - Road Trip Successful
Dear Slug Tennis Fans,
We just returned from a wonderful spring break trip where we played the
past two NCAA Team National Champions on back to back days! Overall we
played six matches in six days and took some hugh strides towards becoming
a championship team. Because of several rainouts and a thin schedule we
came into this week of matches having not played an official match since
winning the National Indoor Team Championships almost a month earlier.
We showed some rust coming off this layoff and finals and dropped our
opening match to NAIA power Azusa Pacific 6-3. It was a tough match and
revealed some areas which needed attention. Carlos Gonzalez had the best
singles outing of them match winning at 6 singles 6-3,6-3. Overall we
played without our characteristic enthusiasm and desire and felt like
we had to refocus for the matches ahead. Day two we played Pomona Pitzer
coached by former Slug Ryan Witt and we responded with a far more focused
and passionate effort in defeating Pomona 7-0. It was great to see three
former NCAA champion Slugs in Ryan Witt, Bryan Shapiro and Jai Nettimi,
all members of the 1995 Championsip team. Day three pitted us against
longtime rival Redlands University. In a very close 4-3 match the Slugs
suffered their first regular season Div lll loss in eleven years. We lost
the doubles point by losing two and three doubles and could only manage
wins by Nick Cunningham at 2 singles, Danny Kim at 3 singles and Brian
Casey at 5 singles. It was definitely a bitter defeat as we feel strongly
that we could win at several of the spots where we struggled. I have often
been asked during this streak if it might not have been better to have
lost somewhere during the season in any of the past years. I now know
that at least this year it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise as
we seemed to grow stronger and more focused from this setback. Day four
we faced a great team in Williams College the 1999 NCAA champions. Again
we failed to win the doubles point winning only at 2 doubles with Danny
Kim and Peter Gladkin playing one of their best matches of the season.
Derek Fitzpatric and Nick Cunningham, the number one ranked team in the
country, suffered their first loss of the year and we continued to struggle
at 3 doubles. Facing the daunting task of winning four singles against
a very fine lineup we greeted the challenge in championship form! Derek
Fitzpatric started things rolling with a 6-2, 6-3 win at two singles followed
closely by Peter Gladkin at four singles and Brian Casey at five singles.
Brian Casey defeated a player ranked in the top 80 in the country with
one of his finer efforts of the year. Peter bounced back from a tough
match at Redlands with an impressive display of fine all court play. Derek
responded with a great job of competing following a very rough outing
at Redlands. Nick Cunningham lost a hard faught match against one of the
best players in the county at number one singles to close the match score
to UCSC 3 Williams 2. With Danny Kim and Carlos Gonzalez in third sets
and needing one point to clinch the match, the battle was on. With both
players up early breaks I felt we were headed for victory. As is often
the case, things turned in a hurry as Carlos lost 6-4 in the third and
Danny faced two match points at 4-5 and five-fourty. In his typical warrior
style Danny elevated his game and came back to hold serve. After a well
played game to break serve Danny got another test in his attempt to serve
out the match. His opponent lifted his game and held off two match points
before having a break point to send the match to a final set breaker.
Danny came up with another big serve and winning volley to set up his
third match point. The game plan was to attack the backhand and on match
point Danny crushed a forehand approach to the forehand corner to seal
the deal. A great match with fine efforts up and down the lineup! Day
five brought 2000 NCAA Champions Trinity University of Texas. We finally
got a great effort from all our doubles teams and swept the doubles. It
was great to see Brian Casey and Carlos Gonzales lift their games and
play like I know they can. They are the youngest of our teams and improve
in bits and spurts with each match. In this match they dominated 8-1!
Peter and Danny also stepped up and won easily at two doubles 8-3. Derek
and Nick played solidly to win 8-6 at one doubles. In singles we got some
superlative efforts. Brian Casey missed maybe two balls in his match and
dominated completely from all parts of the court posting a 6-0,6-0 win.
Nick Cunningham beat a player he lost to at last years NCAA tournament
winning at two singles 6-1,6-2. Peter Gadkin was very solid and controlled
his match winning 6-2,6-2. Derek Fitzpatrick defeated last years NCAA
singles finalist 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 fighting off one match point and showing
great resilience and fortitude under fire. Carlos Gonzalez played one
great set and yet had trouble holding his level in the third and deciding
set. It is great to get glimpses of his potential as he works to hold
his level over longer periods of time. Danny Kim's match was called at
one set apiece. It was truly a dominate performance against a great team
and showed character and strength to play this hard on the fifth day of
the trip. We concluded the trip with a strong 6-1 win against Claremont
with another strong performance in singles and doubles. In addition to
the great work done on court we did some very significant team building
work and goal setting that will benefit us during the stretch run. Much
thanks to Jerry Lynch and Rolland Todd for their wonderful work in guiding
the team and helping me to be a better coach. Special thanks to Peter
and Vicki Gladkin and Bryan Shapiro for the wonderful meals and hospitality.
Thanks for sharing your time, love, and interest. Thanks also to Rafael
Gonzalez and Doug and Nina Fitzpatrick for all your support and help.
It was great to see Johnny Kim, Tanya, Palmer Taylor, and Gary Liekin.
Special thanks to assistant coach Jake Stevens for all his great work
and support. Finally great work to the team for having the courage to
truly face challenges with class, courage, openness and hard work.
We are on our way!
Best wishes to you all and thanks for your support,
Bob Hansen and the Slugs
3/15/01 - Lull in Schedule
Dear Slug Tennis Fans,
Sorry there has been such a long time between updates
but we have not had a real match since winning the National Indoors. We
have hit a lull in the schedule and have had several matches which needed
to be rescheduled due to inclement weather. We played a practice match
against Foothill College with several players out for academic and injury
reasons and played very well. Carlos Gonzalez and Brian Casey moved up
to two doubles and dominated a match against a fairly tough team. They
are moving better and improve with each match. Senior Brian Ebel and junior
Jake Moya won both their singles and doubles matches as did veterans Derek
Fitzpatrick and Danny Kim. Derek defeated friend and hopefully future
Slug Brian Martinez in a very well played match.
We had a wonderful meeting with our sports psychologist
Jerry Lynch that proved to be very powerful and instrumental in keeping
us focused and on track. I will attach the notes from the meeting as I
am sure some of the veterans would enjoy some "Jerry Lovin"
if even from a second hand account. He has a tremendous new book out called
"Creative Coaching" that is now at the stores.
We are facing a very challenging (some might say
foolhearty) spring break where we will play six matches in six days. We
open with Azusa Pacific on Tuesday at 3:15 at a club near their school.
On Wednesday we face Pomona Pitzer coached by former Slug sensation Ryan
Witt at Pomona at 2:00. On Wednesday we play the U of Redlands at Redlands
at 2:00 and come back the next day to play Williams College at 9:30 at
Claremont College. Next up will be the defending NCAA champions Trinity
University whom we will play at Claremont at 2:00. We conclude our matches
against Claremont College Sunday at 10:00. If any of you can join us it
would be a pleasure to see you and there should be some great tennis.
I have a great deal of faith in the mental and emotional strength of our
team and feel strongly that this is the kind of challenge that will bring
the best out of them. We will work hard to be prepared for each match
and will have plenty of motivation to establish ourselves as a championship
caliber team. The type of courage, team unity and character it will take
to perform consistently on a trip like this will tell us alot about who
we are and what type of a team we are becoming.
Thanks as always for your wonderful support and
I hope your thoughts will be with us as we head south for our spring break
trip. I will give you all a detailed account when we return. If anyone
would like to be taken off this list please send a return email and I
will remove your name. We will return home to freshly resurfaced courts
which will be great to prepare on for the NCAA tournament!
Our Spring Break matches begins on Tuesday, March
20th and we will be staying at the Claremont Inn. Phone number is 909
626-2411.
Stay tuned!
Best wishes to all,
Bob Hansen
2/19/01 - UCSC wins ITA Indoor Championship
Dear Slug Tennis fans,
We just returned from a tremendous weekend where
the Slugs won the first ever ITA National Div lll Team Indoor Championships!
Hosted beautifully by Whitman College in Walla Walla
Washington the event was a resounding success. With the top five teams
in the country invited it was a great opportunity to see where we stand
early in the season. We played host Whitman College in the first round
as we entered the tournament as the number three seeded team. In only
our second match of the season the entire team played well in sweeping
the match without the loss of a set. At number one singles senior Derek
Fitzpatrick defeated the top player in the Northwest and #22 nationally
ranked singles player Tim Mullen 6-1,6-4. Brian Ebel played well and won
at #6 singles 6-3,6-0.
The win over Whitman put us in the semifinals against
last year's NCAA finalist and number two seed Gustavus Adolphus. The last
time UCSC lost the doubles point to a Div lll team was in 1996 in the
semi finals of the NCAA tournament. This match was also against a strong
team from Gustavus and this year we again found ourselves down one nothing
going into singles as we lost at number two and three doubles. USCS's
number one team of Derek Fitzpatrick and Nick Cunningham showed why they
are the number one ranked team in the country in posting a 8-4 win. Played
on a four court facility the top four players took the courts. With three
seniors and a junior in our top four we looked to try to wrestle the match
back in our favor in these first four. One of our best fighters, Danny
Kim, evened the score at 1-1 with a quick two-set victory at #3 singles
with a strong 6-3,6-2 performance against Mike Hom. Both Nick Cunningham
and Peter Gladkin lost first sets in tiebreakers at #2 and #4 singles
while Derek Fitzpatrick won a hard faught tiebreaker at #1 singles. Nick
and Peter battled back to win the second sets to force 10 point match
tiebreakers for the third sets. Because of tournament time constraints
all third sets in singles were played in this 10 point tiebreaker format.
Unfortuneately for the Slugs both Peter and Nick lost these breakers putting
us down 3-1 and needing to win all three of the remaining matches. Derek
won the second set 6-1 to leave the match in the hands of Freshmen Brian
Casey and Sophmore Carlos Gonzalez. Brian fought off two set points in
the first to post a 7-5 win while Carlos got out to a great start winning
his first set 6-4 against a very good veteran singles player Daryn Collins.
After going up in the second Brian Casey was broken and forced into a
tiebreaker for the second set. Losing the breaker forced a third set breaker
which started just as Carlos was fighting to stay in the second set. Carlos
lost the second set and started his breaker as Brian was half way through
his. With the match riding on these final tiebreakers at 12:45 am Brian
Casey raised the level of his play and played a very fine breaker to even
the match with a 10-8 margin of victory. At this point Carlos was down
4-1 in his breaker. The Gustavus coach had earlier said that this was
the best competitor on his team and things looked bleak. Carlos responded
by playing some consistently solid tennis and wrestled the match from
his opponent in dramatic fashion by a final margin of 10-7 on a wicked
first serve! The team was so relieved and pleased to see our rookie singles
players step up against very tough competition in a very pressure packed
setting. Their poise and fight was a pleasure to watch and made us feel
good about our preparation thus far.
Emory University coached by former Slug John Browning
blasted top seed and defending NCAA Champion Trinity University in the
other semifinal to set up a match that the two coaches predicted 10 years
ago. I was very impressed with his team and looked forward to a great
battle in the final. After dropping third doubles 8-4 it fell on the veteran
teams of Danny Kim and Peter Gladkin and Nick Cunningham and Derek Fitzpatrick
to win the doubles point. Down the whole match Danny and Peter won their
point winning a breaker 7-4 to even the match. With Nick serving 7-8 duce
the pressure was on. After two great serve the doubles point was decided
with a great tiebreaker that Nick and Derek showed again why they are
the top ranked team in the country with poise and strength under extreme
pressure winning 7-4. In single Peter Gladkin set the tone with an great
display of smart attacking tennis as he broke down the great defense of
his opponent in a 6-3, 6-2 win at #4 singles. Nick and Danny each won
hard faught first sets and were closing in on match points at the same
time. Danny, doing his Patrick Rafter imitation, forced the action from
the net with great success and Nick serving hugh and looking to get in
off penetrating ground strokes won their matches within seconds of each
other setting off a great celebration!
It was a wonderful addition to Slug tennis history
to win the first ever National Indoor Team Championship. I could not be
more proud of the heart and character we showed and I feel strongly that
they grew a great deal from the experience. We still have a long way to
go but we are off to a great start. Special thanks to Raphael Gonzalez
for making the trip to Walla Walla after finding out that we were in the
finals at 1:30 am. Your great cheer and support is greatly appreciated.
And also special thanks to the Fitzpatricks, Doug, Nina, and Doug Jr and
Brea for welcoming us home with banners at the airport. Your love and
support once again was overwhelming and a great way to end a long but
fantastic weekend. Thanks again for all your support and I will keep you
all posted.
Best wishes,
Coach Hansen
Media Archive
Men's Tennis National Championships
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