Logo
Logo
Logo
Twitter   Facebook
Falcons Slip In Final Regular-Season Match By 5-4 Score
Posted: 4/15/2008
Box Score | More Men's Tennis news
Senior William Tanis cruised in his singles win, while teaming with junior Sam Shorts for a marathon victory in doubles action.

Aston, PA — With the MAC Commonwealth Championships just days away, the Messiah College men’s tennis team suffered a rare trip-up Tuesday afternoon, falling to host Neumann College by a 5-4 score.

The Knights needed five hours and 15 minutes to hand Messiah (7-7-1, 4-0) its most contested defeat of the season, as sophomore Luke Ruch suffered a heartbreaking 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 loss to Neumann’s Barry Harvey in the final match of the day at number six singles.

The loss snapped a five-match winning streak for the Falcons, who’s last loss came to York College back on Mar. 26.

“I was disappointed in the loss, but not in the effort that our players put forth,” said Frank Petre, Messiah head coach. “We had a group of guys that didn’t quit today, we just came up a bit short in a very competitive match.”

Petre’s group led Neumann by a 2-1 count following tight doubles play, as junior Sam Shorts and senior William Tanis eeked out a 9-8 (7-0) win at number two, a match filled with lengthy volleys and athletic plays. Seniors Nate Ipsen and Jonathan Sieman had less trouble in an 8-4 win in the top flight, while Ruch and freshman Jansen Hein dropped an 8-2 match in the third flight.

Messiah then picked up three of the next four points in the meat of singles competition, as Hein (number four) and Tanis (five) each recorded 6-2, 6-0 wins to push the Falcons’ advantage to 4-2.

Ipsen and Siemen would eventually fall in the top two singles slots, however, as Ipsen dropped a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 decision to Neumann’s Chris Brown while Siemen fell by a 7-6 (4), 6-4 score to the Knights’ Greg Bridgeman.

With the match coming down Ruch in the six hole, Neumann’s Harvey was able to regroup after getting dominated in the first game. His comeback completed the win for Neumann while extending the match to nearly five and a half hours, the longest event of the season for either club.

“Our four, five and six did a great job in trying to get the team out of an early deficit in singles play,” Petre said. “Jansen Hein and Liam Tanis had very convincing wins over their Neumann opponents. Luke Ruch competed for nearly two hours in a hard-fought match played under very difficult conditions. Even with this loss, our full focus and attention goes to preparing for the league championship match this weekend. We are excited about the upcoming opportunity and look forward to giving our best effort of the season against our opponent.”

Messiah will serve as technical hosts for the 2008 MAC Championships, to take place Saturday and Sunday at Hempfield High School in Landisville, Pa. The Falcons will play the winner of Saturday’s semi-final match between Lebanon Valley College and Elizabethtown College on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. LVC and E’Town will battle Saturday at 12:30 p.m. for the right to advance.