March 24, 2005

Bristol, RI -- The men's tennis team, with five of its six players making their collegiate debut, lost its season opener yesterday, 0-9, to Roger Williams. In windy, near-freezing conditions, the Gulls lost each singles match in straight sets and lost the three doubles matches.

Freshman Parker Olen played \#1 singles for the Gulls, followed by junior Matt Nolan at \#2, sophomore Craig Cohen at \#3, senior co-captain Ben Bettez at \#4, freshman Nate Buell at \#5, and senior Sebastian Castorena at \#6. With the exception of Bettez, each player was playing in his first collegiate match.

"I knew we'd have our hands full," said 3rd-year coach Mark Herlihy. "We're a young team in terms of match experience, while Roger Williams, a top-tier CCC team, had already played six matches this season. It was actually the first time we played on an outdoor court this year. But the guys battled to the end and stayed positive. Nate Buell made a nice run in the second set of his match, before ultimately falling 2-6, 4-6. In many of the other matches, the guys were playing points well and getting their shots. However, we had some trouble finishing points."

The Gulls next match, their home opener, is against Salem State on March 31, 3:30 start.