Gamecocks aim to knock off Florida, send seniors away victorious
Chris Sheehan and Johannes Pulsfort have been competing on USC’s tennis team since fall 2007. The Gamecocks will recognize their two graduating seniors when they take the court for the last time against Florida this weekend.
Sheehan and Pulsfort had remarkable careers before they came to Carolina, drawn by the international business program and the opportunity to play in the SEC, an elite conference in college tennis.
“I went to Spain when I was 16 years old to play professional tennis in Barcelona,” said Pulsfort, a Lueneberg, Germany native. “I basically tried as a tennis professional there. I played all around Spain and all around Europe. When I was 18, I got an offer to play for this school and study.”
Sheehan took a much shorter route to Columbia.
“I grew up playing tennis around the Southeast,” the Charlotte, N.C., native said. “I played Southeast tournaments, national tournaments and in my senior year won the only high school state championship that a Charlotte public school has won. I came here on an academic scholarship, and tennis was kind of a bonus.”
Coach Josh Goffi credits both players as leaders on the team this year.
“Chris Sheehan has been mostly in doubles the whole season, but he’s been an emotional leader of the team,” Goffi said. “In fact, both of them have been the emotional leaders of the team on the court. Both of them play with a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm, and it spreads.
“As far as leading the team and really buying into what we’re doing here as a coaching staff, they’ve definitely made a huge impact. They’ve been on board since day one.”
The two seniors, in turn, were full of praise for their rookie head coach.
“It’s been a lot different, especially in the fall, in the off-season,” Sheehan said. “I don’t think any of us had ever been pushed the way [Goffi] pushed us in the fall. It was great for our game. I’m playing by far the best tennis of my life. Since I’ve come to school here, I’ve gotten better each year, which is the goal. I’m playing my best tennis my senior year, so I’m happy with that.”
The leadership role has given the players a new perspective on the game.
“It’s been different for me being a captain since you have to push everyone, not just yourself,” Pulsfort said. “It’s pretty demanding if you have to push six guys and three doubles teams. It’s a different kind of energy and pressure. I’ve embraced that, but it’s also demanding.”
When they graduate in May, the seniors will take off in very different directions. Pulsfort does not know where he is heading, but he has high hopes for finding a job in Europe.
“I applied for about 40 or 50 internships and job positions in the last three months,” Pulsfort said. “I’ve only gotten rejections so far, but I sent my resume yesterday to a friend who works at Morgan Stanley in London. I have [also] sent my resume to a friend in Hamburg.
“I’m trying to get anything for June, July, August, September. If not, I’m going to start grad school in Austria in October and do a master’s in banking and finance or strategic management.”
Sheehan, on the other hand, has definite plans to return to his hometown.
“I have a job in Charlotte for Bank of America,” Sheehan said. “I actually just booked a flight — I’m going to be traveling around Europe with one of my best friends from school for three weeks. I’ll be back to Charlotte to start working at the end of June.”
But on Saturday, the two will focus on helping the Gamecocks win their final match of the season.
“We definitely came from a slow start to the season to where we compete with the best teams in the country,” Pulsfort said. We’re competing in every spot and trying to get a win. Maybe we’ll get an upset on my senior day.”