NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University tennis team clinched a berth in the 2013 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament with an 8-1 win over Anna Maria College in the regular season finale on Saturday at Shapiro Fieldhouse.

Norwich (6-5, 2-3 GNAC) swept all three doubles matches and then won five out of the six singles matches to cruise to the "win and you're in" virtual playoff victory over the AMCATS.

Sophomore Ryan Grindle (Essex Junction, Vt.) led NU with a straight set 6-0, 6-0 sweep over Calvin Weeks at No. 2 singles. Grindle also teamed with junior Christian Hoskey (Saint Charles, Ill.) at No. 1 doubles to down Weeks and Dillon George 8-3.

Sophomore Patrick Ogden (Madison, Ala.) and junior Joe Dvorak (De Soto, Kan.) each posted multiple victories as well as they combined to shutout Ben Chick-Reny and Cody Brigham 8-0 at No. 2 doubles and then Ogden beat Chick-Reny 6-0, 6-1, while Dvorak downed Brigham 6-2, 6-1 at third and fourth singles respectively.

Senior Kristine Brammer (Littleton, N.H.) also continued her late season surge with multiple victories on her Senior Day. Brammer beat LeGrand Houghton 6-1, 2-6, 10-3 at fifth singles and then teamed with sophomore Gustavo Avila (Phoenix, Ariz.) to take third doubles 8-3 over Houghton and Corey Page. Avila beat Jose Rivera 6-2, 6-1 at No. singles as well.

Anna Maria (1-8, 1-4 GNAC) got its lone victory from George at No. 1 singles as he beat Hoskey 6-4, 6-2.

Norwich will now face top-seeded Emerson on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the GNAC North Semifinals. The winner will advance to the GNAC North Championship match on Thursday with the winner of that going to the overall GNAC title game on Saturday to meet the GNAC South champion.

Norwich University Cadets 8, Anna Maria College 1
Apr 20, 2013 at Northfield, Vt. (Shapiro Fieldhouse)