Newman and Miller hold down the No. 1 and 2 singles spots and are the Skyhawks No. 1 doubles tandem (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Skyhawks set to battle third-seeded Merrimack in first round Tuesday
NE10 Men's Tennis Championship Central
NE10 Men's Tennis Tournament Seeding Announcer
EASTON, Mass. (April 29, 2019) – Sixth-seeded Stonehill College is set to make its record-matching 19th appearance in the Northeast-10 Conference men's tennis tournament, when it battles third-seeded Merrimack College, ranked No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division II East Regional rankings, in first round play at Northeast Tennis Center in Middleton, Massachusetts, at 2 p.m.
Stonehill (12-9, 4-5 NE10) is competing in the NE10 Tournament for the second-straight year and 19th time in program history overall. The Skyhawks and second-seeded Bentley University (15-7, 7-2 NE10) are the only two programs to compete in 19 NE10 Tournaments since the Conference adopted the current dual match format in 2000. Stonehill has reached the semifinal round nine times under the dual match format, winning the NE10 Championship in 2009, while making the championship match in 2008 as well. Merrimack (15-8, 7-2 NE10) is making its 16th and final NE10 Tournament before elevating its athletic program to Division I next fall, having won three championships in eight finals appearances, including each of the last two seasons when it fell to Southern New Hampshire University each time.
The winner of tomorrow's match will advance to Thursday's semifinal round at second-seeded Bentley, ranked sixth in the NCAA East Regional rankings, at 2 p.m. The Falcons, along with top-seeded and regular season champions Southern New Hampshire University (14-3, 9-0 NE10) earned a first round bye in the tournament. Fifth-seeded Franklin Pierce University (12-8, 6-3 NE10) visits fourth-seeded Le Moyne College (12-8, 6-3 NE10) in tomorrow's other first round matchup. The NE10 Championship match is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, at the site of the highest remaining seed at 1 p.m.
White holds down the No. 2 doubles and No. 3 singles positions |
Stonehill, under the direction of Hall of Fame head coach Peter Miller, '75, who has posted a 353-265 (.571) record over his 38 seasons at the helm of his alma mater, enters the NE10 Tournament having dropped three-straight matches to regionally-ranked opponents in tightly contested matches. The Skyhawks roster features no seniors, with a lineup that includes two juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen.
Junior Samuel Miller and sophomore Trent Newman, an NE10 All-Rookie Team selection as a freshman, are Stonehill's top doubles pairing, having combined for an 8-7 record this season, including 5-4 in the NE10, at No. 1 doubles. Newman also lines up at No. 1 singles for the Skyhawks, while Miller competes in the No. 2 singles slot.
Sophomore Russell White, an NE10 All-Rookie Team pick as a freshman, and freshman Vincent Huynh, a transfer from West Liberty University that earned second team All-Mountain East Conference honors last year, hold down the No. 3 and 4 singles spots, respectively. White is a combined 27-19 in singles and doubles play this season, posting a 12-9 singles mark, including 5-4 in the NE10, to go with a 15-10 doubles record with five different playing partners. White and sophomore Aleksander Lazowski have teamed up to post a 7-3 record at No. 2 doubles, including 4-3 in the NE10. Huynh is a combined 24-19 in singles and doubles play in his first season with Stonehill, posting a 16-7 singles record.
Diamond is 15-7 in singles, competing at No. 6, including 5-3 in the NE10 (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Freshman Juan Camilo Riano Rojas and junior Aaron Diamond round out Stonehill's singles lineup at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively. Riano Rojas is a combined 23-15 in singles and doubles play overall, including 9-5 in the NE10, posting a 12-10 singles mark, including 6-3 in the NE10, to go with an 11-5 doubles mark with four different playing partners, including 3-2 in the NE10. Diamond has posted a 15-7 singles record for the Skyhawks, including 5-3 in the NE10, with a 10-3 record at No. 6. Freshman Luke Mendoza is 10-9 this season in doubles play, with five different partners.
Merrimack enters the postseason having dropped its last two matches at regionally-ranked Southern New Hampshire and Franklin Pierce. Junior Denis Davydov leads the Warriors and is ranked 11th in the Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Region singles rankings. He has posted a combined 34-14 record in singles and doubles play, including a 17-6 singles record, going 5-2 in the NE10, to go with a 17-8 doubles mark, including 6-1 in the NE10.
Classmate Alex Federov is a combined 35-17 in singles and doubles play, including a 17-9 singles record, going 7-1 in the NE10, while posting an 18-8 doubles record, including 7-1 in the NE10. Freshman Conrad Koch has contributed with a combined 33-15 record in singles and doubles play, including 16-6 at singles, including 6-1 in the NE10, to go with a 17-9 doubles record, including 6-1 in the NE10. Freshman Alec Mackay Rodriguez has also posted a winning mark in his first collegiate season, with a combined 28-17 record, including 14-9 in singles, with a 6-1 NE10 record, to go with a 14-8 doubles record, including 7-1 in the NE10.
Davydov led a group of five double-winners for Merrimack in its 7-0 win over Stonehill in the regular season encounter at North Andover High School on April 6. He combined with Koch to clinch the doubles point for the Warriors with their 6-3 win at No. 1. Davydov followed that up with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles against Newman, while Koch added a 6-4, 6-2 decision at No. 4 singles over Huynh. Federov and freshmen Jonathan Garcia and Mackay Rodriguez rounded out the double-winners in the match for the Warriors.
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2019 Northeast-10 Conference
Men's Tennis Championship
First Round
Tuesday, April 30 (at higher seeds)
Match 1: #6 Stonehill (12-9, 4-5 NE10) at #3 Merrimack (15-8, 7-2 NE10), 3:30 p.m.
Match 2: #5 Franklin Pierce (12-8, 6-3 NE10) at #4 Le Moyne (12-8, 6-3 NE10), 2 p.m.
Semifinals
Thursday, May 2 (at higher seeds)
Match 3: Winner of Match 1 at #2 Bentley (15-7, 7-2 NE10), 2 p.m.
Match 4: Winner of Match 2 at #1 Southern New Hampshire (14-3, 9-0 NE10), 2 p.m.
Championship
Saturday, May 4 (at highest remaining seed)
Match 5: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner, 1 p.m.
