Men's Tennis Dispatches Saint Anselm, 7-2
Links: Box Score
MIDDLETON, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's tennis team won all three doubles matches before triumphing in four singles contests to take a 7-2 decision on Saturday afternoon from the Saint Anselm Hawks in the regular-season finale. The Warriors finished their Northeast-10 campaign with a 9-1 record, ranking second in the conference.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 7, Saint Anselm 2
Records: Merrimack (10-8, 9-1 NE-10) | #17 Bentley (3-12, 2-8 NE-10)
Location: Northeast Tennis Center | Middleton, Mass.
NE-10 Postseason Outlook:
The top-six teams advance to the NE-10 Championship, with the top-two finishers securing first-round byes until the semifinals. Merrimack clinched a second-place finish with its win over Assumption yesterday and will open postseason play on Friday in the semifinal round.
1) Southern New Hampshire 10-0
2) Merrimack 9-1
3) Adelphi 8-2
4) Bentley 7-3
5) Le Moyne 5-5
6) Stonehill 5-5
7) Assumption 5-5
8) Franklin Pierce 3-7
9) Saint Anselm 2-8
10) Saint Michael's 1-9
11) American Int'l 0-10
How It Happened
With its postseason fate secured entering the final contest of the regular season, the Warriors took on the Hawks at the Northeast Tennis Center in Middleton, Mass.
Senior Miguel Belfort (Caracas, Venezuela) and sophomore Frank Vega (Lima, Peru) returned as a unit at first doubles, winning by an 8-3 decision. Junior Nick Majewski (Brewster, Mass.) and freshman Tyler Clontz (Naples, Fla.) also prevailed at second doubles by a 8-6 score. Sophomores Mikhail Belov (Krasnoarmeyskoy, Russia) and Thomas O'Brien (Lancaster, Pa.), making his spring debut, paired together for the first time, winning at No. 3, 8-6.
The Warriors featured some adjustments to its singles lineup as well. Belov and Majewski each played at their typical spots at first and second, respectively, winning in straight sets. Belfort played at No. 3, blanking his opponent in both sets.
Clontz played at fourth singles for the first time in his career. Junior Tayyab Sheikh (Longmeadow, Mass.) stepped in at fifth singles and picked up a two-set victory. O'Brien played at No. 6, his first singles appearance this spring.
Results
Doubles
1. Miguel Belfort / Frank Vega (MER) def. Eric Howes / Kyle Harris (STA) 8-3
2. Nick Majewski / Tyler Clontz (MER) def. Adam Weinstein / Daniel Kmetz (STA) 8-6
3. Mikhail Belov / Thomas O'Brien (MER) def. Robert Patenaude / Alex Pearson (STA) 8-6
Singles
1. Mikhail Belov (MER) def. Eric Howes (STA) 6-1, 6-1
2. Nick Majewski (MER) def. Adam Weinstein (STA) 6-1, 6-4
3. Miguel Belfort (MER) def. Daniel Kmetz (STA) 6-0, 6-0
4. Brian Kavanagh (STA) def. Tyler Clontz (MER) 6-3, 6-3
5. Tayyan Shiekh (MER) def. Kyle Harris (STA) 6-1, 6-1
6. Benji Page (STA) def. Thomas O'Brien (MER) 8-6
Up Next
The Warriors await their opponent in the NE-10 Semifinals on Friday. The contest will be played at the tennis courts at Phillips Andover starting at 10 a.m.
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