Those who follow the UB tennis team might be surprised to know that two of the best players for the Bulls are from north of the border.
Mike Rockman and Matt Kennedy don't have many things in common. Both differ in style, size and experience but they are both linked through their citizenship.
"Our proximity to Canada is a huge recruiting opportunity for us," said head coach Russ Crispell. "This is one of the reasons why you now see us looking in there. I think they come from a decent stock of athletes. I am very familiar with the Ontario tennis association, which has a great reputation."
The benefit from playing schools from Canada has provided exposure to kids who might not otherwise hear about what UB has to offer.
"I think one of the benefits now is that the Canadian dollar is strong, which makes our education more affordable for them," said Crispell.
UB participated in the Can-Am Tournament last year where they played such schools as York University from Toronto and the University of Montreal.
"Any time we get a chance to play a team from a distance away it puts our name on the map," said Crispell. "When athletes see that, they are more apt to want to come towards us."
Two of those athletes are now playing on the team.
Last year Rockman came in as a freshman and did not have any growing pains. He ended the season with the second best record on the team at 20-15.
"Mike Rockman has a lot of training behind him. He is also one of the most unique men I have had an opportunity to coach," said Crispell. "Mike brings not only a wealth of experience but he has a lot of intestinal fortitude. Rockman displays a style that many athletes in tennis do not see often. His playing style does create a lot of problems for his opponents. He's a complete player."
This is Matt Kennedy's first year as a Bull, but Kennedy comes to UB with experience most freshmen generally don't have. Kennedy played tennis for two years at a junior college in Indiana.
"I played junior college for two years and they contacted me when they found out I was transferring," said Kennedy. "I had sent them a letter. It just opened the lines of communication and started discussing the possible future here and what was available for me."
"When Matt was looking for schools he was looking for a school with an outstanding academic reputation and a school that has an outstanding athletic reputation in terms of its competitiveness," said Crispell. "UB provided both of those."
Kennedy was surprised by Western New York's tennis community.
"There is a lot of support here. I've been amazed at how many friends of the program come out and support the team," Kennedy said.
Rockman echoed Kennedy's sentiments regarding the friendly nature of the Buffalo tennis community.
"Everyone knows each other and the community is very involved," said Rockman. "We have a lot of supporters on our team and alumni so it does make a difference."
Popularity of tennis in Canada doesn't compare to the popularity of hockey in Canada, but the popularity of badminton in Ontario has allowed for a growth in skills that apply to both sports.
"Badminton is not only a sport for Canada. If you notice over the last couple of years I've recruited a lot of Indonesians. Badminton is their national sport," said Crispell.
"The carry over between the two is athleticism and touch. You can implement some of the same strategies. Tennis ranks middle to bottom of the pack in Canada," said Kennedy. "Not overly popular, but through pro tournaments it definitely gets a lot more exposure and gets people interested that might not follow tennis or be around it."
In terms of the rest of the season, and because of the recent injury to Randy Rocchio, the two Canadians will need to lead the UB men's tennis team with stellar play throughout the season. Perhaps a trend has already begun.
