NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Norwich University men's tennis team fell 7-2 to the Univ. of Southern Maine in its home opener on Friday evening at Shapiro Fieldhouse in non-conference action.

Freshman Jeff Purdy (Lebanon, N.H.) led the way for Norwich, picking up a win at No. 5 singles and teaming with sophomore Jay Carter (Glassboro, N.J.) to take a marathon third doubles victory.

Purdy defeated Sebastien Taylor 6-1, 6-3 to improve to 2-0 in his inaugural collegiate season in singles action. He also teamed with Carter to win an edge of your seat, back and forth doubles victory.

Purdy and Carter outlasted Ian Karby and Joseph Gagliardi in the tiebreaker, 13-11 to take the third doubles 9-8 and give NU some momentum heading into the singles matches.

However, Purdy was the only Cadet able to pick up a win in singles action as the defending Little East champion Huskies (1-0, 0-0 LEC) flexed their muscle in their season opener.

Southern Maine's Tyler Adams and Scott Gagne opened up with an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles over Ryan Grindle (Essex Junction, Vt.) and Ian Hyte (Marblehead, Mass.). Kyle Curley and Thaddeaus St. John followed up with an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles over Marc-Olivier Tourigny (Drummondville, Quebec) and Tyler Eagan (Verona, N.J.).

Adams downed Grindle 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 singles and Gagne won a hard-fought match against Tourigny at No. 2 singles by scores of 7-6 and 6-4.

Curley topped Hyte 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3 singles and St. John swept Carter 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4 singles. Southern Maine's Ian Karby rallied to beat Eagan at No. 6 singles after dropping the first set 6-3; he won 6-2 and won a pro-set 10-2.

Norwich (1-1, 0-0 GNAC North) continues its four-match homestand in two weeks when it hosts Johnson State on Mar. 17 and Lyndon State on Mar. 18 at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.

-CADETS-