Tag: men’s tennis

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis finishes season with win

By Chris McCree
Sports Editor

The men’s tennis team closed out its regular season with a 7-2 victory over Bloomsburg this past Wednesday, leaving the Bison with a 9-13 record heading into the Patriot League Tournament.

The Bison took two out of three doubles matches from the Huskies. Gregg Cohenca ’12 and Aidan Lynch ’14 came away with an 8-5 victory at No. 1 doubles, while Josh Katten ’13 and Evan Zimmer ’13 extended their doubles winning streak to 10 at No. 2 doubles. The Bison’s only doubles loss came at the No. 3 spot with the duo of Scott Bernstein ’14 and Kelly Morque ’13 losing 8-5.

In singles, the Orange and Blue took five of six matches, sweeping spots two through six. Katten continued his strong play in the second spot, taking down Mark Schroeder 7-5, 6-0. Octavio Canibe ’15 played in the tightest match of the day at No. 5 singles, taking down Tyler Pultro in three sets. After winning the first set 6-2, Canibe fell in the second set 6-7(1), but managed to take the tiebreaker 12-10. The Bison’s only singles loss of the day came at the No. 1 spot as Zimmer fell in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.

Currently riding a two-game winning streak, the Orange and Blue will look to carry their momentum into the Patriot League Tournament in Annapolis, Md. The Bison will take on Colgate in the first round starting today at 9 a.m. The last time the two teams met was back on April 6, when the Bison came away with a 4-3 victory at home.

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s takes one of three league contests

By Cooper Mead
Writer

The men’s tennis team took one of three contests against Patriot League rivals in a stint of away matches this week. The Bison then returned home to claim a 4-3 victory against Robert Morris.

Facing Army (13-9, 4-0 in the Patriot League) on April 12, the Bison fought a tough match but fell 5-2 to the Black Knights. Josh Katten ’13 and Evan Zimmer ’13 defeated Alex Van Velzer and Peter Sienko 9-7 playing at the No. 2 spot, improving the duo’s winning streak to six. Aidan Lynch ’14 and Gregg Cohenca ’12 also contributed to the solid doubles play at the No. 1 spot as they defeated Asika Isoh and Henry Jang-Milsten in a hard-fought match that culminated in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (7-5). The win brought the duo their third straight victory.

Despite the team’s doubles prowess, the Bison struggled in the singles arena and dropped all but one of the six possible points. Katten gave the Bison their only win, beating Alex Holland in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2.

The Bison rebounded from their tough loss to Army with a convincing 6-1 victory at Lafayette on Sunday.

The team began the match by winning all three of the doubles matchups. Scott Bernstein ’14 and Kelly Morque ’13 at the No. 3 spot won by a score of 8-4, while Katten and Zimmer also  emerged victorious at the No. 2 spot by a score of 8-2. The match marked the first time since their match against Hofstra on Feb. 18 that the Bison have swept the doubles matches. Cohenca’s victory brought his record to 68-46 in his doubles career for the Bison and brought him to third all-time. Only Ryan Sandburg ’09 (87-50) and Ira Reibeisen ’08 (69-60) hold better records.

The Bison’s singles play was also spectacular against the Leopards, taking five of six matches and four in straight sets. Cohenca won his second match of the day at the No. 1 spot against Doug Gallagher (6-3, 6-3) which marked his first singles win in eight matches. Zimmer, Katten, Morque and Gregory Maxson ’12 also won their singles matches.

“Lafayette was a great win for us,” Lynch said. “Everyone stepped up and took care of business. I was really proud of our team.”

The team finished its away stint and its final Patriot League game of the regular season on Tuesday with a tough 5-2 loss to Lehigh. The Hawks brought their record to 7-13 and 2-3 in the Patriot League.

The Bison doubles pairs remained strong as Zimmer and Katten defeated Mark Goldberg and Mitchell Petersen 8-1 at the No. 2 spot. The win gave the partners an undefeated doubles season. Morque and Bernstein also came away with a doubles win against Timur Chernykh and Andrew Krentz at the No. 3 spot by the score of 8-5 and secured the doubles team point.

The team continued to struggle with singles play. At the No. 6 spot, Maxson was the only Bison able to win his match, winning in three sets. Cohenca lost at the No. 1 spot to Goldberg by a score of 6-1, 3-6, 7-6. Zimmer also fought a tough match at the No. 2 position against Ben Gilman but lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

“It was tough to lose to Lehigh. We will go into the tournament as a four seed like last year, but I think we still have a great opportunity to make a run,” Katten said. “The conference is really strong this year and while we may have lost those matches, these teams are well aware of our ability.”

Coming off of their two-win week, the Bison will play at Bloomsburg on Wednesday before traveling to Annapolis, Md. for the Patriot League tournament next weekend.

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis defeats rival Colgate

By Cooper Mead
Writer

The men’s tennis team came away with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Colgate at home on Friday, sending the team to 1-1 in the Patriot League.

The Bison doubles play continued its strong performance from last week, winning the crucial team point. Evan Zimmer ’13 and Josh Katten ’13 won a convincing match (8-4) against Luke Gensburg and Sean Spellberg at the No. 2 spot and improved their winning streak to four matches. At No. 1 doubles, Greg Cohenca ’12 and Aidan Lynch ’14 defeated Alec Goldstein and Parker Lewis in a tight 8-6 match, clinching the doubles point for the Bison.

On the singles front, the Bison were able to grind out victories in three out of six matches to ensure a team victory. Gregory Maxson ’12 won at the No. 6 singles spot against Connor Feuille, 6-1, 6-4. Katten also defeated Spellberg at the No. 4 spot, 6-2, 6-7, 6-2 and Zimmer capped off the day beating Bobby Berkowitz in a tough match with a slew of long rallies, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

“Colgate was a good win for us,” Katten said. “It was a step in the right direction leading into the core of the Patriot League season.”

Following the victory, the Bison fell to a formidable George Mason team at home 4-3 on Saturday. Again, the Bison doubles pairings were extremely effective as they clinched the team point for the Bison. Cohenca and Lynch defeated Jordan Dyke and Chris Borden 8-6 at the No. 1 doubles spot, bringing the pairing to 2-3 in No. 1 matches during the spring season. Katten and Zimmer also continued their great performance, beating Scott Keaton and Joe Wiggins, 8-5. After his win, Zimmer’s individual record for the season improved to an impressive 25-5.

Despite the doubles victory, the Bison struggled in singles. Kelly Morque ’13 took on Keaton at the No. 4 spot and won in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5. Kyle Rosen ’14 recorded the only other singles win for the Bison when he defeated Taylor Sargent, 6-4, 6-3 at the No. 5 spot. Rosen’s victory brings him to 16-12 in singles play this season.

“We were obviously disappointed by the 4-3 loss to George Mason but the win versus Colgate demonstrated that we can be a dangerous team,” Morque said. “Even though we didn’t play our best, we still toughed out a win against a very determined Colgate squad. Matches like the ones we had this weekend will only make us better in the long run.”

The Bison began a three-match road trip yesterday afternoon when they faced Army after press time. They will next take on Lafayette on Sunday and Lehigh on Tuesday before returning home to face Robert Morris at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

 

 

 

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Featured Men Sports Tennis

The Dominant Duo

Alex Wagner

Assistant Sports Editor

 

The Bison’s top men’s tennis doubles team of Gregg Cohenca ’12 and Evan Zimmer ’13 is currently ranked No. 51 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. 

The two, who began playing together in the fall of 2011, quickly found that they were able to work together well, helping them climb to a position among the elite doubles teams in the nation.

“We played all the fall tournaments together and have meshed since,” Cohenca said.

A key to their success this year has been their ability to stick to the basics.

“Sticking to our fundamentals and tactics [has] brought us our success thus far. We stay positive for every single point and focus on setting up points to end in our favor. Trying to stay completely relaxed and confident out there has propelled us to beat many teams, such as Penn State,” Zimmer said.

In fact, the Feb. 11 victory over Penn State’s Jason Lee and Russell Bader, who are currently ranked No. 25 in the nation, proved early in the season that Cohenca and Zimmer deserve national recognition.

But the hard work to get to the top began for the two of them long before they started seeing themselves in the national rankings this year. Their career records are a testament to their patient approach. Cohenca is currently ranked fourth for the Bison in terms of all-time doubles victories, with a record of 64-46. Zimmer is not far behind in a tie for 12th with a 48-24 record.

In addition to their constant focus on the fundamentals, the teammates also cite their unity off the court as a strong point of their play.

“Off the court, we are good friends, which helps during those crucial moments in the match,” Zimmer said.

As the season progresses, they hope to continue the short-term thinking that has gotten them to where they are today.

“Our goal on the court this season is to play one point at a time. Once that point is over, win or loss, we move on to the next point,” Cohenca said.

There is little doubt that if Cohenca and Zimmer stick to the principles that they have been employing, they will continue to do great things this season.

 

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis falls to Hoyas 6-1 in D.C.

By Cooper Mead

Contributing Writer

The men’s tennis team (5-10) suffered a 6-1 loss against Georgetown (9-6) on Friday in Washington D.C.

Doubles pairing Josh Katten ’13 and Evan Zimmer ’13 battled against Shane Korber and Alex Tropiano and won the match 8-6. This victory pushed the pair to 2-0 this week, while Katten continued his streak during his singles match by defeating Korber at the No. 3 spot. Katten battled and pushed hard to win the match that went into three sets, two of which went to a tiebreaker (3-6, 7-6 (11-9), 10-7).

“Georgetown is a solid team,” Katten said. “We came out firing in doubles but came up just short as a team. In singles I was lucky enough to come through with the win but unfortunately our team did not fair well. Despite the loss, I think we fought hard as a team.”

The Bison singles players struggled throughout the match. Kyle Rosen ’14 in No. 5 singles was the Bison who came the closest to winning another set, but Rosen lost 7-5, 6-2. The rest of the singles field came away winless at the conclusion of the match.

This loss marks the third straight for the Bison, who had won their two prior matches.

“The Georgetown match showed us that everyone needs to step up in every spot if we are to be successful against teams like Army and Navy,” Kelly Morque ’13 said. “A week of hard work and intensity should get us to where we need to be.”

The Bison were originally scheduled to take on Mount St. Mary’s this week, but the match was cancelled due to rain. The Bison will hope to break their tough streak when they host Colgate today at 1 p.m.

 

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis falls to Navy

By Cooper Mead

Contributing Writer

The men’s tennis team took on Navy at home this past Saturday in a highly contested match but fell to the Midshipmen 4-3. The close loss marked the third time in a row that the Bison have lost to Navy by just one point.

“It was a tough loss because as a team we know we are capable of beating any team, including Navy,” Josh Katten ’13 said. “However, the upside is that we know what we need to do differently in order to beat them in the conference tournament.”

The team had a strong showing in doubles as partners Katten and Evan Zimmer ’13, who were playing together for the first time, defeated Chris Kenney and Marcus Rebersak. Partners Kelly Morque ’13 and Scott Bernstein ’14 then won the doubles point for the Bison, defeating Nicholas Gutsche and Blake Daniel 8-4. With the doubles victory, the Bison were able to clinch the doubles point for just the second time since 1953.

Despite their promising doubles victory, the Bison struggled in singles, losing four of six. Katten won his singles match against Blake Daniel (6-2, 7-5), giving him his fourth consecutive singles victory. Katten has also won seven of his last eight contests and, at 17-7, has won more singles matches than any other member of the team this year. Gregory Maxson ’12 also won his singles match at the No. 6 spot against Chris Kenney (6-2, 6-1).

The Bison did hold a slim 3-2 team lead, but Gregg Cohenca ’12 was defeated by Rebersak at the No. 1 spot (6-3, 6-4), and Kyle Rosen ’14 was defeated by Gutsche (6-4, 6-3) in tough matches, allowing the Midshipmen to pull ahead to and win the match 4-3.

“We got off to a great start winning the doubles point but Navy was just tough,” Aidan Lynch ’14 said. “We’re looking forward to seeing them again down the line. We’ll be ready.”

The Bison will take on Georgetown on Friday and will complete their previously postponed match against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.

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Sports

Men’s tennis falls to Army in semis

By Eric Weiss

Senior Writer

The men’s tennis team put forth a valiant effort in the Patriot League tournament last weekend in Bethlehem, Pa., beating Colgate 4-1 but falling to Army in the semifinals 4-2.

Against Colgate the Orange and Blue used their usual tactics, taking an early lead through stellar doubles play and then following with relentless singles action.

“While we lack the facilities of the other top teams in the conference, we make up for it in talent, and our team is as close-knit as a team could be,” Josh Katten ’13 said.

In the doubles matches, Anton Kovic ’11 paired with Evan Zimmer ’13 and Gregg Cohenca ’12 paired with Mark Malloy ’11 to rout Colgate in impressive victories. Katten and Kelly Morque ’13, the super sophomore combo for the Bison, were also headed towards a victory until their match was suspended as the Bison had already gained the point up for grabs in doubles play.

The Orange and Blue continued to play at lightning speed in singles as Zimmer, Katten and Malloy all retired their opponents in straight sets to give the team the three singles victories they needed to be victorious over the Red Raiders. All other matches were suspended as the win was already secured.

The Bison started promisingly against Army as Cohenca and Malloy, as well as Kovic and Zimmer won their respective doubles matches giving the Bison a 1-0 advantage.

“In my years on the team, I have never been a part of a match like the one we played on Saturday against Army. Everyone has heard or said the saying, ‘Leave your hearts out on the court today,’ and only on a special day does it actually happen,” Malloy said.

In singles play, Cohenca was the only player able to pull out a victory for the Bison. Although the Bison were able to knot the match at 2-2 they would get no closer as Army then won the next two singles matches.

“We were confident going in and we gave it our all, and it just wasn’t enough. Despite losing, we learned a lot, namely that we have the talent to win a championship,” Morque said.

The Orange and Blue were sadly retired in the semifinals for the fifth time in a row in the Patriot League Tournament.

“That match against Army was one of the closest, hardest fought losses I have ever been a part of, and I truly believe that everyone gave their all and left everything they had on the court,” Malloy said.

It was a stellar season for the Bison and seniors Malloy and Kovic will be sincerely missed by the team since they anchored singles positions for four straight years. These gentlemen have left their mark on Bison tennis forever.

“Anton and I are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play tennis here,” Malloy said. “It is an honor to have been a part of such a special group of guys, and Bison tennis is in good hands for years to come.”

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Sports

Men’s tennis wins one, loses one in league

By Eric Weiss

Senior Writer

The men’s tennis team defeated Colgate 4-3 on the road on Saturday before losing to Army 6-1 on Monday. Solid doubles performances, as well as an outstanding match played by first-year standout Kyle Rosen ’14, drove the Bison to their victory over the weekend.

“Every spot in our lineup has a chance of winning their match,” Josh Katten ’13 said. “When you’re playing tight matches, it’s reassuring to look at the court next to you and see your teammate fighting hard for every point.”

Starting white-hot, all three doubles pairings defeated their Colgate opponents. Anton Kovic ’11 and Evan Zimmer ’13 achieved the most impressive victory by defeating their competition 8-1 in the first doubles position.

Things became more interesting as the Bison were unable to convert victories from either of their top two singles players. Zimmer, continuing his great play from his doubles match, and Katten, another doubles winner for the team, both won their respective singles matches.

Finally, Rosen bested his Colgate opponent in a grueling straight sets match to clinch the victory for the Orange and Blue.

“Playing close matches at the beginning of the year have helped us tremendously. Now, when we’re locked in a dogfight against Patriot League opponents, we can look back at matches from earlier and be confident about our chances,” Kelly Morque ’13 said.

Against Army, Zimmer was the only Bison to pull off a victory as he made quick work of his opponent at third singles.

The Orange and Blue were able to play some close matches against Army as Kovic and Rosen both took their opponents to tiebreakers but were unable to come out victorious.

The Bison will face Lafayette this coming weekend in Lewisburg. This will be the penultimate match before they make a run in the Patriot League Tournament.

“I think that if we can focus on the little things before the upcoming tournament, it will make a big difference,” Mark Malloy ’11 said. “Higher first serve percentages will apply more pressure on our opponents, and getting our returns low and crosscourt will help us control the point.”

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Sports

Men’s tennis falls to Navy 4-3, other matches postponed

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

The men’s tennis team fell just short of earning its first-ever victory against Navy, dropping a tough 4-3 decision that dropped the team to 7-6 overall and 0-1 in Patriot League play. Trailing 3-1, the Orange and Blue rallied behind victories in the singles matches by Josh Katten ’13 and Mark Malloy ’11, both of whom won their matches in straight sets. In doubles play, Katten and Kelly Morque ’13 posted an 8-1 victory.

The match came down to the No. 2 singles match between Evan Zimmer ’13 and Navy’s Jeremy New. With the match tied at three apiece, New was able to outlast Zimmer in three hard-fought sets.

The Bison were originally scheduled to play in three matches, but their games against George Mason and Villanova were postponed due to inclement weather.

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Sports

Men’s tennis boasts impressive wins

By Eric Weiss

Senior Writer

Continuing from a great spring break trip when the Bison went 3-1, the men’s tennis team took down Mount St. Mary’s 6-1 in a dominating home performance.

Over spring break the Bison defeated South Dakota State (5-2), NJIT (5-2), and Boston University (4-3) with impressive matches by standout athletes on the team. Their only loss was to Liberty University as they fell 6-1. The most impressive match of the trip was a four-hour marathon played by Josh Katten ’13 that gave the Bison the winning match for their victory over Boston University.

“On the spring break trip we spent a lot of time together and this formed closer bonds between us,” Kelly Morque ’13 said.

In the match against Mount St. Mary’s the team cruised through doubles play as the first, second and third pairings won by scores of 8-1, 8-5 and 8-2.

The team showed poise throughout and never surrendered a key point that could break their momentum.

“We’ve been competing very well so far. Even if one of us is having a bad day and not playing well, we know our teammates will step up for us,” Morque said.

In singles play, the Bison won all but one of six matches as Evan Zimmer ’13, Kyle Rosen ’14, Mark Malloy ’11, Gregory Maxson ’12 and Katten all came away with victories. None of the players surrendered a set in their victories.

“We have done a very good job at staying positive on the court. Each of us is showing a lot of energy on the court, and that energy has spread throughout the team. By staying positive and focused during our matches, we have been able to beat some very tough opponents,” Malloy said.

This is only the beginning for the Bison as they aim toward their eventual goal of a Patriot League Championship. The road will be long before they get there, with many Patriot League foes standing in their way.

The Bison will be in action this Saturday when they take on George Mason. This match will be preparation for the opening of their conference schedule, the following day when they compete against Navy in Annapolis, Md.

“It is always important to get a lot of matches under your belt before conference play, because it allows for us to find the weaknesses in our games and work on them,” Malloy said.