Whether you followed or played for the women’s tennis team, 2006 was surely a year to put behind you. After finishing 1-7 and placing seventh in the Little East Conference tournament, first-year head coach Eric Berg is looking to make a u-turn with program. “We have a lot of talent,” said Berg, who played college tennis at Ohio State University and the University of Central Florida. “[This group of women] are working hard and they’re a very coachable team,” Berg added. “I expect us to improve quite a bit over the season.”

Players to Watch: Even though coach Berg has only had a short amount of time to work with his new team, he has a very good idea of who is ready to take their spot atop the team. Aurora Lormeus, a senior transfer from Regis College in Weston, MA is already impressing Berg on the court. “She’s definitely going to be one of the strongest players on the team, somebody we look to for leadership.” Berg added that he was optimistic about the improvements made to the team.

Aside from Lormeus, two other transfers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey will be added to the mix, increasing the depth of the team. Junior Katie McPherson (PA) and freshman Britney Engel (NJ) will be on the rise. Berg says he will be expecting significant contributions from them as well.

The Leaders: Coach Berg has not named captains yet. These first couple weeks have really been a learning process between him and the players, as they both try to understand each other better. But Berg did mention two women who were front-runners to assume the role of captains. Kristen Chan, a sophomore out of Tustin, California and Emily Johnson, a junior from Saugus, Massachusetts, make up the small nucleus of returning players who are in the mix to become the leaders of the team.

Expectations: After a 1-7 season in 2006, the only direction to go is — up. With the additions of local flavor Aurora Lormeus (Milton, MA) and a few other solid transfers, expect these Lady Beacons to surprise some teams with their solid play on the court. “To put into concrete terms how many wins that’s [going to give us], it’s difficult, but I expect us to be a stronger team than last year,” Berg said. “My goal is to win fifty percent of our matches,” he added. “I don’t think that’s setting our sights too high.”

Why Go? Eric Berg has played tennis at Ohio State University and at the University of Central Florida. He knows tennis, and he knows why you should go to the matches. “First off, tennis is a great sport. It’s a sport of a life time,” Berg said proudly. “You can be any age and still enjoy it.” So bring your little siblings, or your grandparents and watch the women’s tennis team compete at B.C. high school on Saturday, September 15 at 1 p.m. “It’s a sport that crosses boundaries,” Berg said. Go ahead, cross those boundaries and support the women’s tennis team. They’re poised to surprise you.