NORTHFIELD, Vt. - In a matchup with major Empire 8 East Division implications, the Norwich University men's tennis team saw its historic winning streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon, falling to Thomas College, 5-2, inside Shapiro Fieldhouse.
The loss snapped Norwich's nine-match winning streak and marked the Cadets' first Empire 8 setback of the season, dropping them to 12-2 overall and 4-1 in conference play. The meeting also carried added weight in the race for the East Division regular season crown, with both programs entering the day among the division's top contenders.
Thomas set the tone early by sweeping doubles play to claim the opening point. At No. 2 doubles, Dominic Clifford and Camden Herrick delivered the first result of the afternoon with a 6-0 victory over
Reynard Gan (Chandler, Ariz.) and
Ethan Teluk (Manlius, N.Y.). The Terriers followed on the No. 3 court, where Calvin Cutler and Ricky Salazar defeated
Stephen Hartigan (Tyngsboro, Mass.) and
Juan Gonzalez Torres (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico), 6-1.
At the top flight, Thai Nguyen and Casey Duncan completed the doubles sweep with a 6-3 win over
Jaxson Redmond (Kennebunkport, Maine) and
Terrance Bayly-Henshaw (Scottsville, N.Y.), giving Thomas a 1-0 advantage heading into singles.
The Terriers carried that momentum into singles play, adding another point at No. 3 where Herrick topped
Lily Walker (Marstons Mills, Mass.), 6-3, 6-0. Thomas then moved within a point of clinching the match when Clifford edged Bayly-Henshaw in a competitive No. 2 contest, 6-4, 7-5.
Norwich answered at the top of the lineup behind Redmond, who put together a strong three-set performance to defeat Nguyen, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, at No. 1 singles and put the Cadets on the board.
Hartigan followed with another important point for Norwich at No. 4, rallying past Cutler in three sets, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, to trim the deficit to 3-2 and keep the match within reach.
The final two courts, however, went the Terriers' way . At No. 5, Duncan outlasted Gonzalez Torres in a back-and-forth three-set battle, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, to clinch the match for Thomas. Noah Cook later added the visitors' fifth point at No. 6 with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over
Pierce Rohm (Queensbury, N.Y.).
Though Norwich battled back with two singles wins after falling behind early, Thomas' advantage from doubles and steady play through the middle of the singles lineup proved decisive in the 5-2 result.
MATCH RESULTS:
SINGLES:
- No. 1 - Jaxson Redmond (Norwich) def. Thai Nguyen (Thomas), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
- No. 2 - Dominic Clifford (Thomas) def. Terrance Bayly-Henshaw (Norwich), 6-4, 7-5
- No. 3 - Camden Herrick (Thomas) def. Lily Walker (Norwich), 6-3, 6-0
- No. 4 - Stephen Hartigan (Norwich) def. Calvin Cutler (Thomas), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
- No. 5 - Casey Duncan (Thomas) def. Juan Gonzalez Torres (Norwich) def., 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
- No. 6 - Noah Cook (Thomas) def. Pierce Rohm (Norwich), 6-0, 6-3
DOUBLES:
- No. 1 - Nguyen/Duncan (Thomas) def. Redmond/Bayly-Henshaw (Norwich), 6-3
- No. 2 - Clifford/Herrick (Thomas) def. Gan/Teluk (Norwich), 6-0
- No. 3 - Cutler/Salazar (Thomas) def. Hartigan/Gonzalez Torres (Norwich), 6-1
The Cadets will close the regular season on Wednesday, Apr. 22, traveling to Rhode Island College for a non-conference matchup. Norwich will then turn its attention to the Empire 8 Tournament, having secured the number two seed in the East Division for the second-straight season. The Cadets will host #3-seeded SUNY Delhi in a first-round match on Saturday, Apr. 25, at a time to be determined. The semifinals and championship round, featuring crossover play between the East and West Divisions, will be hosted by Thomas, the East Division's top seed, on May 1 and May 2.
