NEWPORT, R.I. - Western New England College men's tennis won its 10th straight dual match after scoring its first ever victory against Salve Regina University, 6-3, in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) play in Newport.
The Golden Bears took No. 3 doubles without dropping a game, with Matt Minahan (Plymouth, Mass.) and Shawn Fitzpatrick (Burnt Hills, N.J.) winning 8-0. The Seahawks evened the score with an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles for Brian Castrichini (Winchester, Mass.) and Aaron Isch (Tolland, Conn.).
Salve Regina's No. 1 doubles pair - Zachary Rosenfeld (Easton, Conn.) and Chad Strong (San Diego, Calif.) - rallied from down a break to even its match at 7-7. Strong held serve with a five-point game to give the host the lead on the changeover, but WNEC seniors Mike Jones (Plymouth, Mass.) and Brian Relihan (Orange, Conn.) recovered to force a tiebreak.
Western New England held three match points when it led 6-3 in the tiebreak, but Strong and Rosenfeld got it back to 6-all before the visitors finally clinched the win (8-6).
Tim Santye (Skillman, N.J.) won at No. 6 singles followed by Minahan at No. 5 singles. Western New England (10-2; 6-0 TCCC) then got the clinching point when sophomore lefty Chris Holzinger (Foster, R.I.) closed out a straight set win at No. 3 singles.
Salve Regina (3-6; 3-3 TCCC) won two of the three remaining matches. Isch won in straight sets at No. 4 singles. Strong and Rosenfeld had both started third sets at No. 1 and 2, respectively, before Holzinger's decision. Strong triumphed in three while Jones bested Rosenfeld in the final set, 6-4.
Salve Regina plays at Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday (1 p.m.) while WNEC travels to Gordon College for a noon match.
Tennis Match Results
Western New Eng. vs Salve Regina
04/07/11 at Newport, R.I.
(Leroy Avenue courts)
Western New Eng. 6, Salve Regina 3
Singles competition
1. Chad Strong (SRU) def. Brian Relihan (WNEC) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
2. Mike Jones (WNEC) def. Zachary Rosenfeld (SRU) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
3. Chris Holzinger (WNEC) def. Brian Castrichini (SRU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Aaron Isch (SRU) def. JonPaul Ouellette (WNEC) 6-2, 6-4
5. Matt Minahan (WNEC) def. Colin Gunning (SRU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Tim Santye (WNEC) def. James Diamantopoulos (SRU) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Mike Jones/Brian Relihan (WNEC) def. Zachary Rosenfeld/Chad Strong (SRU) 9-8 (8-6)
2. Brian Castrichini/Aaron Isch (SRU) def. Chris Holzinger/JonPaul Ouellette (WNEC) 8-2
3. Shawn Fitzpatrick/Matt Minahan (WNEC) def. James Diamantopoulos/Kenneth McCormack (SRU) 8-0
Match Notes:
Western New Eng. 10-2; 6-0 TCCC
Salve Regina 3-6; 3-3 TCCC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,5,3,4,1,2)
Official: self-officiated
