WORCESTER, Mass. — The number five seed Wheaton College (Mass.) men's tennis team was defeated by number four seed Clark University (Mass.), 4-0, this afternoon in the opening round of the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at Corash Tennis Courts in Worcester, Mass.
The Lyons complete their season with a 4-11 record, while the Cougars improve to 8-10 and advance to the NEWMAC Semifinals to play top-seeded Babson College on April 25 in Babson Park, Mass. at 3:00 p.m.
Tournament matches are played to decision. Clark swept all three doubles matches to gain the first point of the dual match, before winning the first three singles contests to earn the victory.
All three doubles matches were competitive with every match won by exactly two games.
Cougar junior Edward Shepherd-Johnson (Takoma Park, Md.) teamed with sophomore Aris Kirkorian (Sunnyside, N.Y.) to earn a 6-4 decision over the Wheaton tandem of sophomore Jaime Galligo (Madrid, Spain) and Pablo Munoz (Paris, France) at number one singles. Graduate student Tanner Honnef (Camarillo, Calif.) and senior Ryan Hovey (Newburgh, N.Y.) also turned in a 6-4 triumph for Clark at number two doubles over the Lyons' sophomore duo of Jake Murray (San Diego, Calif.) and Calvin Van Dyke (Albuquerque, N.M.). The Cougars captured third doubles in a 7-5 battle behind junior Graham Russo (Bridgewater, Mass.) and first year Ziad Tabbara (Manacor, Spain) over Wheaton senior Daniel Bor (Seattle, Wash.) and sophomore Paul Berteaux (Courbevoie, France).
Hovey earned the first singles win with a 6-2, 6-4 effort at number five over Van Dyke, before Graham Russo turned in a straight set, 6-3, 6-3, showing at fourth singles over Murray. Kirkorian decided the dual match with a win at second singles for Cougars over Munoz, 6-4, 6-4.
Galligo led at number one singles over Shepherd-Johnson, 6-4, 4-3, before the match was halted at decision. Tabbara led Berteaux at third singles, 6-2, 5-4 and Honnef took the opening set at number six singles over Bor, before the tables were flipped and Bor owned a 4-1 advantage in the second frame.
