NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's tennis team was defeated by visiting Clark University (Mass.), 5-2, this morning in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Beard Field House on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons dip to 2-8 overall and 1-2 in NEWMAC play, while the Cougars improve to 4-8 and 1-2.

Clark won all three doubles matches to gain the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead in the dual match. The Cougars won four of six singles matches, including the first two to clinch the match early. 

Wheaton picked up its points with wins at number one and number five singles. First year Jaime Galligo (Madrid, Spain) got the best of junior Edward Shepherd-Johnson (Takoma Park, Md.) in three sets at first singles. Shepherd-Johnson won the opening set, 6-4, before Galligo bounced back to win the second set, 6-2 and the third frame, 10-6, in the super tie breaker. Sophomore Jake Murray (San Diego, Calif.) also earned a singles victory for the Lyons with a comeback win of his own. He dropped the opening set to senior Ryan Hovey (Newburgh, N.Y.), 6-2, before battling to a 7-5 middle set win. Murray dominated the final set, 6-1.

Sophomore Aris Kirkorian (Sunnyside, N.Y.) led the way for the visitors with wins at number one doubles and second singles. He combined with Shepherd-Johnson to earn a 6-4 win at number one doubles over Wheaton's sophomore duo of Galligo and Paul Berteaux (Courbevoie, France). Kirkorian dropped just two games to secure a second singles victory over Berteaux, winning the opening set 6-0, before taking the second frame, 6-2.

Clark's number three doubles tandem of junior Graham Russo (Bridgewater, Mass.) and first year Ziad Tabbara (Manacor, Spain) were double winners on the day for the Cougars. They took down Lyon first year Pablo Munoz (Paris, France) and senior Daniel Bor (Seattle, Wash.), 6-4, before each grabbing a win in singles action. Tabbara surrendered just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 win over Munoz at number three singles, while Russo battled to a 6-4, 7-5 win over Wheaton sophomore Calvin Van Dyke (Albuquerque, N.M.) at fourth singles.

Graduate student Tanner Honnef (Camarillo, Calif.) and Hovey combined to come away with a 6-4 win at second doubles for the Cougars over Van Dyke and Lyon sophomore Jake Murray (San Diego, Calif.).

Honnef added a singles win for Clark at number six. He outlasted Bor in three sets after dropping the opening frame, 7-6 (2). He came back to win the middle set, 6-4, before winning a marathon third frame, 13-11.

The Cougars return to the courts on April 2 when they take on cross-town rival College of the Holy Cross in a road match at 3:30 p.m., while Wheaton hosts Springfield College on Friday, April 4 at the Clark Tennis Courts at 3:30 p.m.