Men's Tennis | 5/6/2022 9:35:00 PM
Top-seeds Houghton College and Nazareth College advance to the 2022 Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship match after earning victories in semifinal action Friday. Houghton recorded a 5-0 victory over No. 4 seed Utica University, while No. 2 Nazareth hung on to defeat No. 3 seed St. John Fisher College, 5-3.
Houghton will take on Nazareth in the 2022 Empire 8 Championship match from Annette Shapiro Courts at 12 p.m. on Sunday. The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championship, which begins May 12-14, with first, second and third round action. Houghton has won both previous meetings between the two schools this season, 7-2 on April 2 and 5-4 less than a week ago on April 30. Houghton also won last year's title match by a 5-4 score.
NO. 1 HOUGHTON 5, NO. 4 UTICA 0
Houghton is moving into its fourth consecutive Empire 8 tournament finals appearance after a 5-0 win over Utica University on Friday afternoon.
Houghton jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead, sweeping the doubles play with 8-3, 8-1 and 8-0 wins. Jaimie Staerkle rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win at third doubles to give Houghton a 4-0 lead before Matt Cicero clinched the match with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at fourth singles.
NO. 2 NAZARETH 5, NO. 3 ST. JOHN FISHER 3
Senior
William Britton secured the deciding point for second-seeded Nazareth Friday as the Golden Flyers defeated St. John Fisher, 5-3.
In the match, played at Nazareth's Annette Shapiro Courts, the Golden Flyers took three points in singles and two in doubles to improve to 11-4 overall and to advance to Saturday's conference championship match at 12 p.m. against top-seeded Houghton. The Highlanders defeated Nazareth twice during the regular season and reached Saturday's final with a 5-0 victory over fourth-seeded Utica.
In defeating the Cardinals for the third time this season, Nazareth led 2-1 after doubles, but needed Britton's straight-set singles win at #6 over Fisher's Cam Campbell to prevail.
Dominic Vito and
Ryan Lalik won their matches at second and third singles respectively.
Tyler Luong and Fisher's Jordan O'Connell split two sets at fifth singles before the match went unfinished.
In doubles, Britton teamed with Nate Allen to take a point at first doubles and
Isiah McMurray combined with Vito to win at third doubles.
2022 Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship Schedule
Friday, May 6 – Semifinals (Outdoor at Nazareth College)
#1 Houghton College defeated #4 Utica College, 5-0 - BOX SCORE
#2 Nazareth College defeated #3 St. John Fisher College, 5-3 - BOX SCORE
Saturday, May 7 – Championship (Outdoor at Nazareth College; Indoors (if necessary at Mendon Racquet Club)
#1 Houghton College vs. #2 Nazareth College – 12 p.m.