COLCHESTER, Vt. - Sophomore Connor Scott (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) won his third singles match in four tries while three other contests featured close decisions in the Saint Michael's College men's tennis team's 6-1 Northeast-10 Conference loss to regionally-ranked Southern New Hampshire University on Thursday in the Tarrant Recreation Center. The Purple Knights concluded their regular season against the Penmen, who were ranked second in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Region poll. All NE10 teams advance to the postseason, which begins with first-round matches on Saturday. The bracket will be announced tonight.
RECORDS
- Saint Michael's (0-9, 0-9 NE10), Southern New Hampshire (7-1, 7-1 NE10)
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
MATCH FACTS
- Each of the Purple Knights' matches this spring are slated to be against regionally-ranked squads.
- Southern New Hampshire was ranked second in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Region poll.
THE ACTION
- For the second straight meeting, sophomores Jason Boucher (Bedford, N.H./Bedford) and Josh Weiss (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) put a scare into graduate students Bas van Biezen and Willem van Biezen at No. 1 doubles. Boucher and Weiss, who fell by a 7-5 count against the duo last time around on April 6, squared off with a tandem that entered with a 33-6 career record, including 6-0 this year, having last lost to an unranked foe in 2018-19. They were sixth in the ITA's latest regional rankings last April and also held down the top two spots in the most recent East Region singles poll. Boucher and Weiss were deadlocked with the van Biezens, 4-4, before losing the next game, but they held a 30-15 edge during the ensuing Penmen service game. However, the visiting tandem won three of the final four points to hold on for a 6-4 win, as Boucher and Weiss remained one of only two pairs to come within two points of the van Biezens this year.
- Junior Constantin Krogh (Oslo, Norway/Persbråten VGS) made his season debut while siding with sophomore Luke Ramsay (Bedford, N.H./Bedford) during a 6-2 loss at No. 3. In the second spot, Scott and sophomore Tyler Whitney (Bedford, N.H./Bedford) won one game.
- Scott won in singles for the second time against Southern New Hampshire this year, capturing a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 decision at No. 3. During his tiebreaker, Scott trailed 6-3 before netting the final five points, including as he served out the final point. He has now won three of his last four matches.
- Weiss went to a set tiebreaker for the fifth time this year in a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) loss at No. 1 to Bas van Biezen, the second-ranked singles player in last April's most recent ITA East Region poll, who had lost only three total games while winning his last three matches. Weiss trailed 6-5 with van Biezen on serve but blanked his foe to force the tiebreaker, where the players were tied, 3-3, before the Penman went on a clinching 4-1 run.
- In the second spot, Boucher took on Willem van Biezen, who was ranked first in last April's regional singles poll while earning ITA All-America and ITA East Region Senior Player of the Year laurels in 2020. Boucher lost his opening set before neither player led by more than two points in the second set until van Biezen clinched a 6-2, 6-4 decision.
- Ramsay won a game in the No. 5 spot for the fourth straight match, sophomore Jack Gunning (Bedford, N.H./Bedford) won his second game of the year in the sixth position, and Whitney held down the No. 4 slot.
NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S MATCH
- NE10 Championship first-round match on Saturday at a TBA time.
- The Purple Knights will hit the road to visit a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
