Men's Tennis Carries Winning Momentum to NESCACs

Author: David Lindholm

For perhaps the first time in history, the Middlebury men's tennis squad will be the team to beat at the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championships this weekend. The Panthers have won each of their last five matches, all against NESCAC opposition, including some of the nation's toughest teams in Williams, Bowdoin and Tufts. And in hosting the championship tournament, the Panthers are primed to wrest the NESCAC title away from Williams, the ten-time defending league champions.
"We have a lot of tough tennis ahead of us, so we're going to have to play even stronger than we have been playing," said Nate Edmunds '06. Edmunds, one of three first-years in the top six, is one of the reason's for the team's charge to the top of the league. The trio of rookies, which includes Edmunds at number two, Brian Waldron at three and Ari Beilin at four, have lost only once in 15 NESCAC matches played.
The team closed out the regular season this past weekend with a 7-0 drubbing of host Amherst College on Saturday, a win which solidified Middlebury's top ranking heading into the NESCAC tournament. Once again, the first-year trio dominated, as did top player Justin Ingoglia '05, co-captain Steve Hulce '03 at number five, and first-year Jeff Oldenburg, getting his first action of the season in the league.
The Panthers dominated the match from the outset, with five of the six singles matches being decided in two games. Middlebury was almost as efficient in doubles play, winning two of the three matches. The pairing of captains Hulce and Stu Brown '04, quickly becoming a force at the top doubles spot, won easily, as did Waldron and Edmunds. The win will give the Panthers even more momentum headed into the NESCAC tournament.
Further on the horizon for Middlebury is the NCAA championships, a single-elimination tournament that will surely feature the Panthers, as well as other NESCAC teams. Last year, Middlebury was knocked out of the NCAAs with a heartbreaking loss to Bowdoin. Though the Panthers avenged that loss in the regular seasson earlier this year, the team will surely feel the need to improve upon last year's NCAA showing.
With regards to the postseason, Edmunds said, "I think hosting the NESCAC tournament will help us, especially if we get the support we had when we played Williams. Then we're into NCAAs, where anything can happen. I think if we play our best we can accomplish quite a bit, though."
The tournament begins on Friday, and will continue through Sunday. Though the team has not dropped a NESCAC match this season, it is careful not to get overwhelmed by its sudden "favorite" status at the tournament.
"Both Tufts and Bowdoin nearly beat us: those wins came down to the third set on one person's court," said Ingoglia. "So I think our goals are to stay focused for every match. There is still a lot of tennis to be played, and won."