CCC SEMIS: Nichols Edges Men’s Tennis, 5-3

Endicott

Nichols

Doubles

Blake Norton / Aidan Stuart (NC)
def. Chris Kirkpatrick / Michael Dolph (ECM)

8-4

James Smith / Igor Markowski (NC)
def. Eric Pierce / Keaton McCleary (ECM)

8-4

Nicholas Eherts / Sean McAndrews (ECM)
def. Josh Halpern / Jake Zapatka (NC)

9-8 (10-8)

Singles

Blake Norton (NC)
def. Chris Kirkpatrick (ECM)

6-1, 6-2

James Smith (NC)
def. Michael Dolph (ECM)

FINAL - UNFINISHED

Eric Pierce (ECM)
def. Josh Halpern (NC)

7-5, 6-4

Jake Zapatka (NC)
def. Sean McAndrews (ECM)

6-1, 6-1

Igor Markowski (NC)
def. Nicholas Eherts (ECM)

6-0, 6-3

Keaton McCleary (ECM)
def. Aidan Stuart (NC)

6-3, 6-2

full stats

Posted: May 05, 2016

POMFRET, Conn. – The Endicott men's tennis team fell to Nichols College, 5-3, on Thursday night in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament semifinals at the Pomfret School.

Nichols held a 2-1 advantage after doubles as the Bison's No. 1 and No. 2 pairings claimed identical 8-4 wins at their respective positions. Nicholas Eherts (New Milford, Conn.) and Sean McAndrews (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) helped the Gulls avoid the sweep by picking up a 9-8 (10-8) victory in the No. 3 spot.

In singles, Nichols raced out to a 4-1 lead via wins at the No. 4 (6-1, 6-1) and No. 1 (6-1, 6-2) positions before Endicott mounted a comeback attempt with victories at No. 3 and No. 6.

Eric Pierce (Barrington, R.I.) cut into the Gulls' 4-1 deficit with a 7-5, 6-4 triumph at No. 3, while Keaton McCleary (Newtown, Conn.) followed with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 6 to put the match score at 4-3.

Igor Markowski (Paris, France) clinched the match for Nichols moments later, however, as the freshman registered a 6-0, 6-3 victory in the No. 5 slot.

TOP QUOTE

"It's always tough to end a season with a loss, but the coaching staff couldn't be prouder of the heart these guys showed on the court tonight," said Endicott men's tennis head coach Jeremy Howard. "This year's squad set a new bar for Endicott men's tennis."

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

Endicott tied its single-season high for wins in 2015-16 with its 12-8 record overall.
Eherts and McAndrews will enter the 2016-17 campaign on a 10-match winning streak in doubles.
Pierce extended his winning streak in singles play to seven straight (10-1 at No. 3).
Senior Michael Dolph (Stratford, Conn.) led by a 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 2-0 score in the No. 2 slot before Markwoski locked up the victory for Nichols.
Over his four-year career, Dolph helped guide Endicott to a 43-31 overall record and four CCC semifinals appearances.
The 43 wins during Dolph's career is tied for the most wins in programy history over any four-year span (tied with 2007-08 to 2010-11).

WHAT'S NEXT

Second-seeded Nichols (18-4) will play first-seeded Roger Williams in the CCC Tournament title game this Saturday in Bristol, Rhode Island at a time to be determined later. The Bison are the four-time defending CCC champions.

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