COLCHESTER, Vt. - In a meeting of regionally-ranked Northeast-10 Conference squads, the Saint Michael's College men's tennis team lost to Adelphi University, 4-3, on Saturday in the Tarrant Recreation Center. The Purple Knights were 10th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Region poll, while the Panthers stood seventh. Both opened NE10 play with the match.

RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (2-9, 0-1 NE10), Adelphi (5-5, 1-0 NE10)

LEADERS

• Senior Jason Boucher (Bedford, N.H./Bedford), 2 wins
• Senior Josh Weiss (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon), 1 win
• Junior Tristian Du Plessis (Rustenburg, South Africa/Hoërskool Waterkloof/Wallace State CC), 1 win
• Sophomore Sergio Barroso (Madrid, Spain/Colegio Montpellier), 1 win

MATCH FACTS

• The Purple Knights played their closest contest ever with Adelphi. The hosts took four matches from the Panthers after winning a total of nine in their first 14 meetings.
• In addition to facing regionally-ranked Adelphi, the Purple Knights' slate has featured a pair of matches with Division I Merrimack College and meetings with five nationally-ranked Division II and III foes.
• Saint Michael's nearly downed a reigning NE10 semifinalist for the first time since April 22, 2008, when it finished off a season sweep of Bentley University.
• Boucher's pair of wins gives him 56 for his career, as he passed Ben Wynn '94 (55) to take over fourth in program history. He is one shy of third-place Kevin Birch '93 (57). Boucher also matched Brian Heney '96 for eighth in singles victories (27).

THE ACTION

• Doubles featured a pair of close matches. In the No. 3 spot, Barroso and first-year Julius van den Broek (Bergschenhoek, The Netherlands/Wolfert Lyceum) opened play by losing a 6-3 decision in their first match together.
• In the second spot, Boucher and Weiss sided in NE10 play for just the second time in the last two years, holding on for a 6-4 victory when Boucher served out the match.
• With the teams level, the Purple Knights' No. 1 tandem of Du Plessis and first-year Mathis Billman (Brandon, Miss./South Carolina Connections Academy) had a 5-4 lead on the fifth-ranked tandem in the most recent ITA regional poll before losing a 7-5 decision. Adelphi took the 1-0 edge into singles play, needing three more victories for the team win.
• Singles featured a pair of sizeable Saint Michael's victories and four competitive matches. Du Plessis opened play with a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 4 before Boucher earned a 6-2, 7-5 victory in the third spot, winning the final three games of the second set to rally past the 14th-ranked player in the region. The hosts led 2-1.
• Junior Jackson Moser (Missouri City, Texas/Ridge Point) dropped the final three points of a first-set tiebreaker during a close 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 setback at No. 2, and Weiss was downed by the East's third-ranked player, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the top position as Adelphi nabbed the 3-2 advantage.
• Barroso improved to 8-1 this season by cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 triumph at No. 5, again tying the match.
• With the final outcome down to the match-up at No. 6, van den Broek lost his first set but led 3-2 in the second before being defeated by a 6-3, 6-4 count, with Adelphi clinching the team victory.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S MATCH

• March 22 vs. Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, 3:30 p.m.