2008 NEWMAC MEN'S TENNIS TOURNAMENT - Fourth-seeded Wheaton takes squeaker from number-five Coast Guard, 5-3

April 24, 2008

NORTON, MA- Sophomore James Little's (Mount Desert, ME/Mount Desert Island) three-set singles victory clinched the fourth-seeded Wheaton College men's tennis team a 5-3 triumph over the number-five United States Coast Guard Academy in the opening round of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament on Thursday at the Clark Tennis Courts. Now 9-6, the Lyons will take on nine-time league champion Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the tournament's top seed, on Saturday in the semifinals at Coast Guard. The Bears end their season at 3-14.

Wheaton gained an early edge in the match thanks to a pair of doubles victories, as sophomore Kyle Hudgins (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) and freshman Brian Krantz (Milford, CT/Joseph A. Foran) notched an 8-5 win in the third position, while first-years Harry Altman (Riverdale, NY/The Dwight School) and Cullen Garrity (Middletown, MD/Saint James School) corralled an 8-1 win at three.

Coast Guard earned a win in the top flight, as senior Ryan Beck (Freehold, NJ) and sophomore Chris Pappe (Kenosha, WI) notched an 8-4 victory, and the Bears entered singles action down just one.

During singles play, the teams split the first four completed matches, and the Lyons held a narrow 4-3 edge with Little and Pappe still in action in the second position. Little took the opening set, 6-4 before Pappe followed suit to knot the match, but Little responded with a 6-2 triumph in the third set to clinch Wheaton's win, as the teams played to decision.

In the remaining singles contests, Krantz notched a 6-3, 6-4 win at number four, while Altman earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the fifth slot. For Coast Guard, Beck picked up a 6-3, 6-4 win in the top position, and freshman James Vuckovic (Valrico, FL) was triumphant at number three, 6-3, 6-1.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 4/24/08.
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News Headlines

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Hudgins earns second career NEWMAC All-Conference accolade (more)

Upcoming Schedule

7-Sep Sun Grass Court Tourn. A 10:00am (Canceled)
14-Sep Sun Wheaton Invitational H 10:00am
21-Sep Sun Bryant Tournament A TBA