Following last week’s win over Creighton, the Iowa men’s tennis team was told to forget about the past and to look to the future. That may be easier said than done when looking at this week’s schedule, which is slated for a match at DePaul (4-1) on Saturday in Chicago.

Last year, the Hawkeyes (1-0) were able to pull off a 7-0 win against former assistant coach Matt Brothers and the Blue Demons. Brothers was an assistant under current Iowa head coach Steve Houghton for four and a half years before accepting the head coaching position at DePaul in 2007.

Brothers spoke highly of his mentor and former colleague, but said he expects a win this weekend, stating his team’s confidence “is at an all-time high.”

Iowa’s top singles player, junior Marc Bruche, said he feels confident as well.

“I go into it with a good feeling because I have beaten them before,” Bruche said. “It gives you a certain comfort level knowing they are beatable.”

Last week Bruche cruised to a win against Creighton and has already lost recollection of the match.

“Honestly, I don’t even think about last week anymore,” Bruche said. “It’s a new match, new opponent, new court, and a new challenge.”

It appears Houghton wants his players to forget about their past success as well. Players have been emphasizing the amount of running and conditioning they have been participating in this past week in anticipation of their tough Big Ten schedule.

“We have to build on fitness,” sophomore Garret Dunn said. “More conditioning, a lot of sets against each other in practice, working on footwork, all to get ready for the Big Ten.”

— by Ben Ross