The mock dual-match format will give the Nittany Lions a chance to figure out their lineups and also provide
a great tune-up before the Eastern College Athletic Conference Invitational in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., next week.
"How the guys perform in match play is going to be the deciding factor for what we're going to do for ECACs," assistant coach Bill Potoczny said. "Obviously we just expect guys to just win certain matches. Our team has a lot of depth; we would like certain guys to really show what they can do."
The 10-man roster is brimming with talent, but the weekend will help each member of the team fight for playing time in the ECAC tournament that begins on Sept. 30. The winner of the tournament (Penn State has lost to Harvard in the championship for the last two years) gets an automatic bid to the National Indoor Team Championships in the spring -- a major step toward the NCAA Championships.
Now, Niagara and St. Bonaventure are Div. I programs -- but not the highest quality competition the Lions will face this fall. In this light, the team can use this weekend like a preseason game to work out some details and get back into the groove of playing matches.
"If you can win against an opponent, that's OK. But against other opponents, if you can beat them badly, then we expect you to beat them badly -- that's what we're looking for," Potoczny said.
While each player will be showing off what he can do for the team as a whole, the entire squad must try
to slay some old demons from last spring.
"We have high expectations, and we want to do well at each position, hopefully get a little good match play in," sophomore Chris Sherman said. "And of course work on our doubles, improve from last year -- play smart and play aggressive."
The doubles point has been an Achilles heel for the Lions, seemingly just out of reach week in and week out. Already this fall, it has become a focal point for improvement and will be something that must start to come together this weekend if the Lions want to finally capture the ECAC championships.
Potoczny preached speed and communication, not just between players but in the form of showing emotion between points, in practice as two things that must be present in doubles play.
"A lot of guys don't realize that when you're playing a pro set -- especially
the young guys -- that emotion is such a big part of setting the tone," Potoczny said. "It can be over before you know it, so you have to come out very feisty."
Tinkering with pairings for the top three doubles teams will also take place during the Fall Classic. Potoczny said that players will play one match with a familiar partner and then probably see some mix-ups in the pairings in another.
Injury Report
Senior co-captain Malcolm Scatliffe has bronchitis and could be limited in his playing time this weekend, depending on how healthy he is. Also some aches and pains of early season training have begun to set in -- sophomore Michael James is playing through elbow pain -- and, as Potoczny said, "Some of the guys are just banged up right now."
Fall Classic Notes
The event was originally scheduled for four teams, but Rutgers had to pull out because of a funding issue.
Although the matches will count in the individual player's record, the team's record will not be affected by these mock dual contests.
