Elmira Falls 5-4 in Rematch With Oswego State
Score: Oswego State 5, Elmira College 4
Records: Oswego State (6-1), Elmira (5-5)
Location: Murray Athletic Center Tennis Dome – Pine Valley, NY
Pine Valley, NY -- Coming off a 9-0 demolition of D'Youville College yesterday, the Elmira College men's tennis team looked to secure a weekend sweep when it welcomed Oswego State to the Murray Athletic Center Tennis Dome on Saturday. The Soaring Eagles were intent on holding serve on their home courts, especially after the Lakers took the matchup between the two programs back during the fall portion of Elmira's schedule. Unfortunately for EC, Oswego State was able to storm back from an early deficit to take a 5-4 victory and the season sweep.
Elmira got off to a fast start in the contest, taking a two out of three doubles matches to take a narrow 2-1 advantage into singles play. The Soaring Eagles scored a convincing win at second doubles to open the match, as
Austin Mansell '16 and
Chris Konow '18 controlled things from the outset in an 8-1 win.
After the Lakers first doubles group evened the match with an 8-5 victory, Elmira's third doubles duo of
Yu Ikeda '16 and
Yaniv Kogan '18 were able to outlast the Lakers third pairing to break the 1-1 deadlock with an 8-6 win.
EC looked to have the match well in hand during the early portions of singles play. Mansell rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 victory in his third singles matchup with Oswego's John Stanford.
Patrick Tracey '18 put the Soaring Eagles on the precipice of victory with a 6-1, 6-2 win in his fourth singles matchup against the Lakers' Brian Emigholz. The two wins gave EC a 4-1 lead in the match.
Unfortunately, Elmira was unable to close things out down the stretch. Ikeda fell 6-1, 6-1 in straight-sets to Oswego's Sam McGrath, while
Satchal Waters '16 dropped his second singles matchup to Alex McCarthy 6-3, 6-0. The match was still in doubt heading into the final two singles matchups of the afternoon.
Oswego equalized the match at the fifth singles matchup. Nick Retzkin and Konow locked in a heated opening set, which went to a tiebreaker. Retzkin was able to sneak out with the opening set with a 7-5 win in the tiebreaker. The Laker netter was able to seize the momentum from the emotional set to run away with the second set 6-2.
In what was a microcosm of the match as a whole, the sixth singles matchup was one of the most exciting of the season.
Yaniv Kogan '18 and Spencer Thorn engaged in a heated barn-burner of a match which went the full distance, before Thorn was able to pull out the victory in the decisive third set.
Match Recap
- Elmira went 2-1 in the doubles matches, taking the second and third tandems.
- Mansell and Konow only dropped one set in second doubles, 8-1.
- Ikeda and Kogan outlasted a furious Oswego State charge to take third doubles, 8-6.
- Singles play started off decidedly in favor of the Soaring Eagles, as they took the first two wins at third and fourth singles.
- Mansell was nearly perfect in taking his third singles match 6-0, 6-1.
- Tracey was strong as well, winning fourth singles 6-1, 6-2.
- With the match on the line, Kogan battled hard, taking his sixth singles matchup to a decisive third set, before ultimately falling short.
News and Notes
- With the loss, Elmira fell to even-.500 at 5-5 on the year.
- Oswego State swept both ends of the season series with the Soaring Eagles.
- Waters (57) remains just one win shy of tying the program record for career victories.
- Mansell was the sole EC netter to sweep both his singles and doubles matches on the day.
- Mansell now has 55 career victories, placing him three behind Gabe Cortes '11 and his program-record 58 wins.
Up Next
Elmira returns to action next Saturday, March 19
th, when they continue the non-conference schedule with a matchup against Keuka College at the Murray Athletic Center Tennis Dome. Doubles matches are slated to begin at 12:00 p.m.