PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Norwich University men's tennis team dropped its first match of the season on Saturday in a 7-2 loss to Johnson & Wales in the Cadets' Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener.

Senior Christian Hoskey (Saint Charles, Ill.) and junior Patrick Ogden (Madison, Ala.) picked up victories at No. 2 singles and No. 6 singles, but that's all Norwich (5-1, 0-1 GNAC North) was able to muster in the win column as its five-match winning streak to open the season was snapped.

Johnson & Wales (7-1, 1-0 GNAC) swept the doubles matches, including a tight 8-6 victory at No. 1 doubles with Nicholas Auffret and Andre Barbero downing Ryan Grindle (Essex Junction, Vt.) and Hoskey. 

Jason Chavenson and Jake McGuire beat Joseph Dvorak (De Soto, Kan.) and Ian Hyte (Marblehead, Mass.) 8-3 at No 2 doubles, while Jorge Mancebo and Gregorz Wala downed Jay Carter (Glassboro, N.J.) and Ogden 8-4 at No. 3 doubles.

JWU kept the momentum rolling in the singles matches with Andre Barbero beating Grindle 6-2, 6-2. Hoskey edged Auffret 7-5, 7-6 at No. 2 singles for Norwich's first victory.

Chavenson beat Hyte 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 singles, Adam Beady downed Dvorak 6-4, 6-1 at No. 4 singles. Mancebo handed Carter his first singles loss of the year with a 6-1, 6-3 victory. Ogden beat Wala 6-0, 6-1 at No. 6 singles to cap the match.

Norwich will return home to Shapiro Field House to host Lyndon State on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at Shapiro Field House.