Men's Tennis | 3/23/2023 9:37:02 AM
Nazareth will look to earn its second consecutive Empire 8 Championship as league play for the 2023 season begins on March 24. The top four teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place at the home of the top-seed on Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2023 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championship, which begins May 5-7.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the
Empire 8 Network.
2023 Empire 8 Players to Watch (sorted alphabetically)
Nate Allen, Nazareth, Sr., Macedon, NY/Penfield – Allen was named the 2022 Empire 8 Championship Most Valuable Player and garnered All-Empire 8 first team honors in singles and doubles last season.
Jake Anthony, St. John Fisher, Jr., North Chili, NY/Churchville-Chili – Anthony earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades in doubles and second team honors in singles last season and will be counted on to lead the Cardinals in 2023.
Richard Nguyen, Utica, So., Utica, NY/Proctor – Nguyen is a highly touted newcomer who will be counted to help lead the Pioneers in both singles and doubles in 2023.
Mike Roberts, Alfred, So., Alfred Station, NY/Alfred-Almond – Roberts was a standout for the Saxons at third singles and second doubles last season and will be counted on to lead Alfred in 2023.
Jaimie Staerkle, Houghton, So., Kelowna, British Columbia/Immaculata – Staerkle was named the 2022 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and earned All-E8 first team accolades in singles and second team doubles honors.
Ben Tubbs, Medaille, So., Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post – Tubbs garnered all-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference second team honors in 2022 after winning six singles matches.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2022 Standings)
Houghton
Houghton will look to win its second Empire 8 title in three seasons in 2023. The Highlanders won the league championship in 2021 before falling in the E8 title match last season. Houghton returns seven players, including six starters from last season in Micah Schilke, Levi Webb, Jaimie Staerkle, Matthew Cicero, Nolan Zach and Adam Brown. Schilke is the reigning Empire 8 Player of the Year, while Staerkle was the 2022 E8 Rookie of the Year. Schilke, Staerkle, Zach and Webb were All-E8 first team picks in 2022, while Cicero was a second team selection. In addition, first-year standouts Marcelo Garcia and Sam Bonisteel will vie for playing time for the Highlanders in 2023.
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers will attempt to defend their Empire 8 title and win their second league crown this spring. Senior Nate Allen, the 2022 Empire 8 Championship Most Valuable Player and All-E8 first team selection in both singles and doubles is back. He is also a member of the Nazareth men’s volleyball team, who is also in season at the moment. Graduate student Dominic Vito, an All-Empire 8 first team selection in singles last season, will form a potent 1-2 punch with Allen, while Isiah McMurray, a 2022 All-E8 second team pick returns. In addition, the Golden Flyers add first-year Max Funicello, who played the fall semester at Ithaca College and will slide into the singles and doubles lineups.
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher will look to improve on last season’s third place finish, as they have placed third in the regular standings in each of the last eight seasons. Junior Jake Anthony returns after All-Empire 8 first team accolades in doubles and second team honors in singles last season. Sean Danahy teamed with Anthony to form the All-Conference doubles team and will be a force in singles as well with teammates Anthony Molosag and Zach DeCaro. Newcomers Will Chubb and Nick Licciarddello will also look to make an immediate impact for the Cardinals.
Utica
The Pioneers are looking to earn their third straight E8 postseason berth in 2023. Utica advanced to the Empire 8 semifinals last spring and return five student-athletes from last season, including Damian Bruce and Bradley Litz. First-year Richard Nguyen will be expected to play a prominent role for the Pioneers in 2023, while fellow newcomers Jack Paute and Hunter Sanford will also vie for time on the court.
Alfred
The Saxons will look to make it back to the Empire 8 Tournament in 2023. Sophomore Michael Roberts will be counted on to lead Alfred in 2023 after a solid 2022 campaign. Senior Matthew Hibbert and first-year Matthew Bittel are also expected to take on a larger role in 2023.
Medaille
The Mavericks make their Empire 8 debut in 2023 after advancing to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference semifinals last season. Sophomore Ben Tubbs returns after earning All-AMCC second team accolades after winning six singles matches. E8 men’s soccer standouts Celso Juberias and Rodrigo Fernandez earned All-AMCC accolades last season, while Jason McCarthy will be counted on to lead the Mavericks at both first singles and first doubles.
Final 2022 Empire 8 Men’s Tennis Standings
Houghton (12-11, 8-0 E8)
Nazareth (12-5, 6-2 E8) – League Champions
St. John Fisher (6-10, 4-4 E8)
Utica (5-8, 1-7 E8)
Alfred (2-13, 1-7 E8)
^ Medaille was a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in 2022
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