PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Norwich men's tennis team kept its perfect 2012 season alive with a dramatic comeback victory on Sunday afternoon at Johnson & Wales in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.

The Cadets (5-0, 2-0 GNAC) dropped all three doubles matches to fall behind 3-0 to start the day. However, NU won five of the six singles matches to complete the improbable comeback and stun Johnson & Wales 5-4.

Senior Collin Hyte (Marblehead, Mass.) and sophomore Joseph Dvorak (De Soto, Kan.) each battled back from losing the first set in their respective singles matches to claim the penultimate wins that led to the Cadets' thrilling victory.

Hyte lost 7-5 to JWU's Mars Wala in the first set at first singles and then battled back to take the next two sets 6-1 and 6-1. Dvorak dropped the opening set 6-1 to Matthew Glaser and then proceeded to dominate the final two sets 6-0 and 6-1 to claim the victory at sixth singles.

Sophomore Christian Hoskey (Saint Charles, Ill.), freshman Ryan Grindle (Essex Junction, Vt.) and senior Zach Reichelt (Manchester, Conn.) each maintained their perfect singles records on the year.

Hoskey downed James Adriano 6-4 and 6-2 at second singles, Grindle beat Ian Huxel 7-5 and 6-1 at third singles, while Reichelt topped Drew Pontillo 7-6 and 6-1 at fourth singles.

Johnson & Wales lone singles victory came in the fifth spot with Jake McGuire beating senior Anthony Verno (Williamson, N.Y.) in straight sets 6-3 and 6-4.

The Wildcats jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead after the doubles matches with Wala and Adriano handing Hyte and Reichelt their first loss of the season at first doubles with a 9-7 win at first singles. Huxel and Jacob Wanner downed Hoskey and Grindle at second doubles 8-6 to also give the NU tandem their first loss of any kind this year.

Todd Zimmerman and Pontillo completed the Wildcats' sweep of the doubles action with an 8-5 win over Dvorak and Brandon Carver (Peru, Maine) at third doubles.

Norwich sits atop the GNAC standings in sole possession of first place after Sunday's victory. The Cadets have a half game lead over defending league champion Suffolk who has only played one league match so far.

The Cadets return to action on Tuesday with a non-league match at Colby-Sawyer scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. NU returns home to Shapiro Fieldhouse on Saturday, April 7 when they host Suffolk in a crucial match for GNAC regular season title implications.

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