“He’s taken a couple of games off the chess master in Harvard Square,” Fish recalled with a chuckle. “He sort of plays tennis like that. He’s a very focused kid.”
The freshmen are quick to credit the coaches and upperclassmen for facilitating the smooth transition. Both Nguyen and Steinroeder noted the advice they had received from the veteran players on classes and managing a busy schedule.
“They don’t really care about where people play in the lineup; they just want the whole team to do well,” Steinroeder said. “It’s been great to have their leadership.”
“It’s not like there’s a tension,” Fish echoed. “Everybody wants to get better together.”
Nguyen and Steinroeder will compete this weekend at the ITA Regional Championship at Cornell. Chaudhuri, Parker, and Steer will join them in action later this month at Harvard’s Halloween Invitational.
“[The freshmen] have their sights set on trying to add something special to the team,” Fish said. “I think their hunger is pushing everybody to get better. And you can’t ask for much more.”