May 9, 2009

Results

Flushing, NY - For the second year in a row and the third as a program, the Panthers have advanced to the NCAA tournament. Repeating the outcome of last year, the Racketmen were cut down in the first round, this year by fifth seed Merrimack College, 5-4.

Steve Viglione beat Bandar Kayali 7-5 in a third set tiebreaker to give Merrimack (14-5) a 5-4 victory over Adelphi University (9-7) in East Region #1 of the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championships.

Merrimack took a 2-1 lead after wining at second and third doubles but Adelphi responded with wins at first, second and fourth singles to go ahead 4-3. Max Eppley pulled Merrimack even at four with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win at third singles but faced elimination when Kayali took a 5-4 lead in the third set. Viglione rallied to take a 6-5 advantage before Kayali evened the set at 6, before falling to Viglione in a the tiebreaker that decided the match.

Winners for the Brown and Gold included Tomasz Walczak (6-2, 7-6 (10-8)) in first singles, Sebastian Nieves in second singles (6-4, 6-4), Anton Voynov in fourth singles (6-3, 6-2) and Alex Molotsky and Walczak in first doubles (8-4).

This concludes the Cannermen's season. In the year to follow, the Panthers will make the move to the Northeast-10 conference and will see Merrimack, along with the rest of the 10 tennis teams, in regular and post-season action.