COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's tennis team closed out its home slate with a 7-2 victory over Northeast-10 Conference foe American International College on Tuesday during Senior Day in the Tarrant Recreation Center. The Purple Knights improved to 1-11 overall and 1-6 in the league, while the Yellow Jackets are 0-3 and 0-3.

Saint Michael's, which last played on March 20, was the beneficiary of two AIC defaults. Senior Chris Allen (Springfield, Mass./Cathedral) and first-year Hayden Steward (Hamilton, Mass./Pingree School) combined for an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles, and a win by default at No. 3 gave the Purple Knights a 2-1 edge heading into singles. The Purple and Gold almost swept doubles, but during a match at the top spot, seniors Nick Bosco (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic) and Tom Brahm (Marlborough, Conn./Xavier) narrowly fell by a 9-7 count.

In singles, due to another default at No. 6, the hosts led 3-1 before sophomore Sam Laves (Bedford, N.H./Bishop Brady) claimed a 6-0, 6-1 triumph in the fifth position and junior Billy Wood (Wayne, Pa./Home School) earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2 to nab his team's fifth point and clinch the victory. Brahm and sophomore Charlie Merry (Kennebunkport, Maine/Kennebunk) followed with wins of their own, with Brahm notching a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 4 and Merry sliding up to No. 3 for the first time in his career and picking up a 6-3, 6-4 win. A doubles specialist during his career until becoming a mainstay in the singles lineup as a senior, Brahm's victory was the first of his singles career.

The Purple Knights head to regionally-ranked Southern New Hampshire University tomorrow for a 4 p.m. match. The Penmen, who qualified for the past three NCAA Tournaments, are seventh in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Region poll.