| Matchup |
Le Moyne (13-4) at
Merrimack (13-8) |
| Date//Time |
Thursday, April 19, 2018 // 2:00 p.m. |
| Venue |
Northeast Tennis Center (Middleton, Mass.) |
| Multimedia |
Video Preview // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Earning a bye to the Northeast-10 Conference Semifinals for the seventh consecutive season, the second-seeded Merrimack College men's tennis program will host the third-seeded Le Moyne College Dolphins on Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. for a playoff match at the Northeast Tennis Center in Middleton, Mass. The Warriors are aiming for the second straight trip to the NE10 Final and sixth in the last seven years.
2018 NE10 Men's Tennis Championship Schedule
Tuesday, April 17th
First Round
Match 1: #3 Le Moyne 5, #6 Stonehill 0
Match 2: #5 Bentley 5, #4 Franklin Pierce 1
Thursday, April 19th
Semifinals
Match 3: #3 Le Moyne at #2 Merrimack | 2:00 pm
Match 4: #5 Bentley at #1 Southern New Hampshire | 2:00 pm *
*
Please note that 2pm is listed time for outdoor play; should matches be moved inside due to inclement weather, times may change.
Saturday, April 21st
Championship
Match 5: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner | 1:00 p.m. (at Higher Seed)
2018 Rapid Recap:
- The Warriors entered the spring with a six-player lineup headlined by seniors Mikhail Belov and Frank Vega along with reigning NE10 Rookie of the Year Alex Fedorov. Sophomore transfers Denis Davydov and Paul Weidinger joined the lineup for their first championship season, and the return of junior Tyler Clontz filled out the remainder of Merrimack's roster
- The Navy and Gold started the spring semester with three regional matches in February, all of which were wins including pivotal 5-4 victories over Roberts Wesleyan and Le Moyne
- One of the highlights of the regular season came in non-league action, when Merrimack avenged last season's loss in the NCAA Tournament to Chestnut Hill, 5-4. The Warriors won twice during doubles and Belov, Davydov and Fedorov prevailed at No. 1-3 singles
- Merrimack won its first eight NE10 matches of the spring to solidify its top-two finish in the conference. The Navy and Gold won by at least five points in six of the eight wins, dominating most of their conference opposition
Inside the Matchup:
- Merrimack's win over Le Moyne came in the Navy and Gold's NE10 opener. The victory occurred in Syracuse, with Weidinger clinching the match with a two-set (6-4, 7-6) victory at sixth singles
- The Navy and Gold trailed by one after doubles, but Belov and Fedorov joined Weidinger with singles sweeps and Vega rallied for a first-set loss to take the third flight, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Both programs enter the week regionally ranked. The Warriors arrived in the latest NCAA Division II East Region Poll at No. 5, followed by Le Moyne at No. 6
- The Dolphins enter Thursday on a 10-match winning streak, with their last loss coming against the Navy and Gold
Mack Facts:
- Five Warriors earned all-conference recognition, headlined by undefeated doubles campaigns and NE10 All-Conference First Team selections for the tandems of Belov and Vega (No. 1 doubles) as well as Davydov and Fedorov (No. 2 doubles)
- In singles, Belov (#1), Fedorov (#3) and Weidinger (#6) all earned spots on the all-league second team. Davydov (#2) and Vega (#4) each landed on the all-conference third team
- Vega capped off his senior season with his 100th career win on Senior Day against Adelphi, becoming the sixth Warrior in the last 11 years to reach the century mark. Belov sits at 99 victories entering the postseason
- The Warriors have won three NE10 Championships since 2012 (2012, 2013, 2015), and made the NE10 Final in 2014 and 2017
- The Navy and Gold have made 10 consecutive NCAA Tournaments entering 2018
Up Next
If Merrimack wins, the Warriors will either host fifth-seeded Bentley on Saturday or travel to top-seeded Southern New Hampshire for the NE10 Final at 1 p.m.
