By Eric Rotteveel
Staff Writer

The boy’s tennis season is in full swing as Neshaminy looks to put forth a strong 2014 campaign. The team looks to combine senior leadership and young talent to put wins together on the court in a tough league filled with many talented teams.

The beginning of the season has been rocky for the boys as they have started the season 1-4 with the lone win coming against Bensalem. They have suffered some tough losses against Suburban One League powers Pennsbury and Council Rock North but Coach Bill Bech looks optimistic that his team can turn it around.
“We’re off to an average start, and lack of practice time due to weather has made improvement tough, but now we’re beginning to get into a rhythm as the season progresses,” said Bech. “I expect more improvement throughout the season, and we’ll be very competitive. Our goal is to be better at the end of the season than we were at the beginning.”

The team will be led this season by top players Nathan Fioravante, Harris Rothfeld, and Martin Mochol. Rothfeld brings experience as a senior while the freshman Mochol brings young talent to the squad. The most heavily relied on player will be the sophomore Fioravante, who is expected to be their top player this year.

Fioravante comes to Neshaminy after a stellar season at Holy Ghost where he was the number one singles player on his team as a freshman. He advanced to the district finals in singles with a record of 17-7, and also qualified for states in doubles. It is no surprise that Coach Bech speaks highly of his top player.

“Nathan will be our number one player this year,” said Bech. “He is a great player that comes from a strong tennis background and a strong tennis family.”

Even after his success last year things will not be easy for Fioravante with many great seniors throughout the Suburban One League. It will be a challenge, but he is excited for the competition.

“I really want to try to do my best against all of the tough opponents in the league,” Fioravante said. Coach Bech believes that the competition in the league will help Fioravante. “Playing tough competition will only make him better,” Bech said.

Although the start of the season has not been ideal for him or his teammates, he too is excited for what is still to come.“We’re off to a slow start, but I think we can turn it around because we have young talent that can develop throughout the season,” Fioravante said

With a strong group of underclassmen led by Fioravante and Mochol, the future looks bright for the team. The experiences they gain this year will give them a big edge in the future.

With the remainder of the schedule still to be played, the focus for the team is on improvement by the end of the season.