NEW LONDON, CT- The second-seeded Wheaton College men's tennis team will make a return to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championship match for the fifth time, as the Lyons edged out third seed and host United States Coast Guard Academy, 5-3 during Saturday's semifinal round at Connecticut College's South Tennis Courts.

A winner in 12 of its last 14 matches, Wheaton improves to 14-4 and will face 11-time defending champion Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which blanked fourth seed Babson College, 5-0 in today's other semifinal match at Coast Guard.  The Bears finish their year at 10-10. 

Wheaton took a 2-1 lead after doubles play, as juniors Harry Altman (Riverdale, NY/The Dwight School) and Brian Krantz (Milford, CT/Joseph A. Foran) got things underway with an 8-3 triumph at number three.

Senior Kyle Hudgins (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) and sophomore Neall Oliver (Portland, ME/Deering) collected an 8-4 victory in the top doubles spot.

Needing three singles wins to secure the victory by decision, Wheaton received straight-set triumphs from Hudgins, Krantz and Altman at the third, fifth and sixth positions, respectively.  Krantz surrendered just one game, Altman posted a 6-4, 6-1 win, and Hudgins notched a 6-4, 7-6 victory.

Coast Guard picked up wins in the first and fourth slots, while senior James Little (Mount Desert, ME/Mount Desert Island) did not complete his match at number two, as he and his opponent were in the midst of playing a third set.