The Ephs' recent successes vs. the Banana Slugs from UC Santa Curz began after the Slugs defeated the Ephs in Williamstown 4-2 to win the 1998 NCAA Title – the Purple Cows have never forgotten that.

May 11, 2004 Santa Cruz [CA] Sentinel

Slugs suffer from Purple Cow disease By JULIE JAG

Sentinel Staff Writer

To most people, purple cows probably seem more befuddling than intimidating. Considering they are the mascot of Williams College, though, the Purple Cows are both to the UC Santa Cruz men’s tennis team.

In each of his three previous seasons at the NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championships, senior Brian Casey and the Banana Slugs have had their seasons cut short by Williams. In 2001, Williams knocked off the Slugs in the final. In 2002, the Purple Cows put out UCSC in the quarterfinals and last year they won the teams’ clash in the semifinals. Williams, a private school in Massachusetts, went on to win two titles in those three years, with Emory claiming the crown last season.

And the Purple Cows are on the horizon again this year. If second-seeded UCSC can take down Mary Washington — the only other public school in the eight-team tournament — in the opening round Wednesday at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, the Slugs’ next opponent will likely be none other than the fifth-seeded Cows.

Just the idea could have the Slugs swearing off burgers for weeks. Instead, though, UCSC’s team is relishing the chance to show the Cows and everyone else that they have the weapons to win the program’s fifth national title, and first since 1998.

"Playing a team like that brings the best out of us, too," Casey said. "In the past we’ve come up just short, but my senior year would be a good chance to beat them."

He’s not alone. Renown sports psychologist Jerry Lynch, who has worked with the players throughout the season, has such faith in the Slugs that his way of preparing the players for the national tournament was not to mention their nemesis at all.

"We didn’t talk about Williams, that’s the way we prepared," Lynch said, adding that he instead emphasized concentrating on individual achievements within the team. "What happened in the past is the past."

Considering his resume, Lynch’s vote of confident carries quite a bit of weight. He has worked with teams at both the pro and college level, including 14 national championship teams in the past 15 years. He’s also been a part of the UCSC tennis team’s makeup since 1989, the year it first claimed the D-III championship.

Still, he said this team stands out because it shares a bond stronger than any other he’s encountered at UCSC.

"The have a wonderful electricity between them. It’s magic, and the team is feeling that," Lynch said. "They are really very tight. They love each other. When you have a team like that, they are willing to go to battle and do whatever it takes for each other."

According to Hansen, Casey is the spark behind the Slugs’ melding.

A quiet but talented player, Casey has long set the standard for hard work. And this season, as the Slugs’ only senior on the varsity, he readily stepped into the role of team leader. Casey said his goal was to make the team as cohesive and as competitive as possible.

He set an example for both when he voluntarily surrendered his spot as the team’s No. 1 singles player to up-and-coming freshman Matt Seeberger two weeks ago after Seeberger swept the competitive Ojai Tournament. He said he had known for a while that Seeberger was the better player, and that he had no qualms about moving to No. 2 singles if it would benefit the team.

"He’s a great player. I can really see how much potential he has," Casey said. "Just looking at it, it looked like that was what was best for the team at the time. At this point, whatever gives the team the best chance of winning I’m all for."

That selfless move, among others, has endeared Casey to the team. And since this is his final chance to win a national title, he has become the Slugs’ rallying point.

"There’s a feeling, certainly, among the team, intensely, that they would like to send Brian away with a championship," Hansen said. "He’s been the heart and soul for four years. Nobody works as hard on a consistent basis."

Just three teams stand in the Slugs’ way, and one of them will likely be the Purple Cows. But Lynch said if the UCSC players can stick together and continue to have faith in each other, they can withstand Williams’ stampede.

"When you get a team confident in (each other), you’re talking about smelling a national championship," he said.

Contact Julie Jag at jjag@santacruzsentinel.com.