NASHUA, N.H. - The Saint Michael's College men's tennis team played its third straight Northeast-10 Conference match on the road and fell to regionally-ranked and defending league tournament runner-up Southern New Hampshire University, 9-0, on Tuesday at the Nashua Swim and Tennis Club.
The Purple Knights fall to 5-5 overall and 4-5 in the NE-10, while the Penmen, who made it to the NCAA Tournament last year, rank sixth in the East region according to the NCAA and improve to 10-7 and 9-1.
The visitors opened by dropping all three doubles matches against a Southern New Hampshire team that has not lost a single point this season at home during conference play. The Purple Knights' No. 2 tandem came the closest to earning a victory, as senior Brian Healey (Ware, Mass./Belchertown) and junior Kenny Vassallo (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) lost by a slim 8-5 count.
Sophomore Nick Bosco (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic) stood at the top singles slot and played a pair of close sets during an eventual 6-3, 7-5 setback to sophomore Mitch Dobek (Westfield, Mass./Saint Mary/Western New England), who is the 17th-ranked player in the East region according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Vassallo and freshman Billy Wood (Wayne, Pa./Home Schooled) both finished strong but ultimately slipped 6-1, 6-4 at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively.
The Purple Knights play their final home match of the season against American International College on Thursday at 3 p.m.
