By MATTHEW MICHAELS
STAFF WRITER
Fordham’s squash team is gearing up for the start of what is to be another exciting season. Head coach Bryan Patterson, in his fourth season at Fordham, is optimistic, and rightly so, about the progress of this program.
“This year, we are much more of a squash team, as opposed to tennis players playing squash,” Patterson said. “Last season, one-third of the team was converted tennis players, the year before that, one-half. My first year, maybe two-thirds of the team was tennis players. This year, only one guy is a converted tennis player.”
Patterson was excited that the amount of authentic squash players on the team has grown because the tennis players can be good, but do not have a natural squash swing.
A team goal is to reach the top 40 in the rankings, where they currently sit at No. 48. To do so, the players will need to focus on their control. Patterson stressed the importance of where to place the ball so it lands in a difficult spot for the opponent.
“These guys need to understand the target and be able to hit it there,” said Patterson. “The target area is red-six, a spot on the court where the red service line intersects with the sixth floorboard from the side wall. The target area is not very big, so the players work on their swings in practice in order to obtain better control.”
Off the courts, the players maintain a relaxed confidence. After a 6-14 season last year, the team is poised to make an improvement and move into the 30s of the rankings, where their coach wants them to be. In practice, their play looks clean with a mix of new and old talent. By all accounts, the team is moving in the right direction, progressing with each practice.
The Rams opened the season on Saturday with a round robin match at Vassar College. Siena College and Bard College also made their way to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for the all day match. Each of the four schools in competition brought nine players to play in five different pools. The top two spots from each school set up a bracket of eight, with points being doled out depending on the place finished within the bracket. The three-four positions follow the same pattern set by the one-two, and the five-six and seven-eight also play individual matches. The four nine spots are in a smaller bracket by themselves. These brackets make up the A, B, C, D and E divisions.
The Rams beat the Vassar squad twice last season, pulling off 8-1 and 8-2 victories in their meetings.
Fordham’s squash team plays on its home courts just three times this season, with the first home match against NYU on Nov. 17.
If the players manage to control the ball location like Patterson wants them to, the 2013-2014 squash season will be a successful one for Fordham.
