COLCHESTER, Vt. - While posting a handful of narrow setbacks, the Saint Michael's College men's tennis team dropped an 8-1 decision to regionally-ranked Southern New Hampshire University during Northeast-10 Conference play in the Tarrant Recreation Center on Tuesday.

The Purple Knights moved to 2-5 overall and 1-4 in the NE-10, while the Penmen, who sit fifth in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Region poll, are 9-4 and 4-0. Southern New Hampshire has qualified for the past two NCAA Tournaments.

In doubles action, a pair of Saint Michael's tandems fell by 8-6 counts, with senior Chris Moskal (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral) and junior Nick Bosco (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic) siding at No. 2, and senior Kenny Vassallo (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) joining first-year Sam Laves (Bedford, N.H./Bishop Brady) in the third spot. The Purple Knights' No. 1 duo, senior Eric Parziale (Pinehurst, N.C./Pinecrest) and first-year Steve Thomson (Westport, Conn./Staples), fell to the fifth-ranked tandem in the region by an 8-3 count.

Singles play saw Vassallo notch a 9-7 win in the sixth position to account for the Purple and Gold's team point, but each of the additional five matches included at least one set decided by two points. Bosco had the closest call, falling 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) against junior Juan Arango-Campo (Armenia Quindio, Colombia), the 10th-ranked player in the region, at No. 2. In the top spot, Parziale came within 6-3, 6-4 versus the ninth-ranked player in the East, junior Mitch Dobek (Westfield, Mass./Saint Mary/Western New England).

Thomson suffered a 6-3, 6-4 loss at No. 3, sophomore Billy Wood (Wayne, Pa./Home Schooled) took a 7-5, 6-4 loss in the fourth position, and senior Lyle Nichols (Washington, Conn./Shepaug Valley) moved up from his regular sixth spot to fall by a 6-4, 6-1 count at No. 5.

Saint Michael's continues a three-match homestand against Saint Anselm College next Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.