COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's tennis team started its 2011-12 season with a 6-3 victory over Endicott College on Saturday in a non-conference match at the Saint Michael's Tennis Courts. The Gulls also played their first match today.

Saint Michael's started off the match by winning two of three doubles points. Juniors Chris Moskal (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral) and Kenny Vassallo (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) paired for an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles. The No. 3 doubles team of sophomores Chris Allen (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral) and Tom Brahm (Marlborough, Conn./Xavier) won the second point for Saint Michael's with another 8-2 triumph.

The Purple Knights nearly swept doubles play, but junior Petr Soustal (Unicov, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Unicov/Quinnipiac) and sophomore Nick Bosco (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic)  fell by a narrow 8-6 margin in the first position.

With a 2-1 lead over Endicott after doubles, Saint Michael's won four of six singles matches. Bosco tallied a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles while senior Sam Cieplicki (South Burlington, Vt./New Hampton School) won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3. Senior Brian Healey (Ware, Mass./Belchertown) notched another victory, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 4, and Vassallo won a pro set, 8-5, at the fifth position.

The Purple Knights return to home action next Sunday for their Northeast-10 Conference opener against Pace University at 2 p.m.