Penmen Win Fourth-Straight NE10 Men's Tennis Championship.
When and Where: May 4, 2019 – Hooksett, N.H. (Penmen Stadium Tennis Courts)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 4, Merrimack College 3
Records: SNHU 16-3, Merrimack 17-9
After falling behind 3-0, SNHU proved resilient, winning the top-four singles flights to claim the NE10 Championship in 4-3 fashion, winning the championship for the fourth straight year.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The doubles venue saw the Warriors and Penmen split the first and second flights. After falling at No. 2, 6-1, SNHU answered with a 6-2 triumph at No. 1 for juniors Bas van Biezenand Willem van Biezen. Merrimack then claimed a 6-3 win at third doubles, taking the overall point and a 1-0 lead into singles.
- Merrimack freshman Andre Singer scored a win at No. 6 in two sets over SNHU's Ricardo Marreiros, opening a 2-0 advantage for Merrimack. Fifth singles went in the books shortly thereafter, with Mackay Rodriguez completing his first win of the tournament in straight sets over Miguel Marreiros to move the Warriors within a point of the match.
- The next four flights went in favor of the Penmen to give SNHU the title. Third singles and first singles were the next two matches that ended, with the Penmen claiming two-set victories at each spot. Grad student Tiago Fernandes won 6-4, 7-5 over Denis Davydov and freshman Emmanuel Vacalares handled Alex Fedorov 6-4, 6-4.
- The Warriors won the opening sets at second and fourth singles, only to see the hosts comeback to win back-to-back frames at each spot. At No. 2, Willem van Biezen topped Jonathan Garcia 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 and the No. 4 match proved to be the clincher, with the Penmen winning a 6-3 third set to end the contest as Bas van Biezen finished off Conrad Koch 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.
NOTES:
- The Penmen win a fourth straight NE10 title, and the third consecutive over the Warriors.
- SNHU extends its NE10 winning streak, including the postseason, to 46 dating back to Oct. 15, 2015.
MAKE IT FOUR STRAIGHT! @snhupenmen �� earns an incredibly close 4-3 match win over Merrimack - its fourth-straight NE10 ��! #NE10EMBRACE pic.twitter.com/mXpIzVxxJE
— The NE10 (@TheNortheast10) May 4, 2019
All-Championship Team
Bas van Biezen, SNHU - MVP
Willem van Biezen, SNHU
Tiago Fernandes, SNHU
Jonathan Garcia, Merrimack
Denis Davydov, Merrimack
Michael Fuca, Bentley
Sven Gopfrich, Le Moyne
NE10 Men's Tennis Championship
Tuesday, April 30th
First Round
Match 1: #3 Merrimack 4, #6 Stonehill 0
Match 2: #4 Le Moyne 4, #5 Franklin Pierce 1
Thursday, May 2nd
Semifinals
Match 3: #3 Merrimack 4, #2 Bentley 0
Match 4: #1 Southern New Hampshire 4, #4 Le Moyne 2
Saturday, May 4th
Championship at SNHU
Match 5: #1 SNHU 4, #3 Merrimack 3
-Information for recap by SNHU athletic communications staff-
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
