Lyons drop first NEWMAC match in battle of nationally-ranked teams

April 22, 2006

CAMBRIDGE, MA- The Wheaton College men's tennis team suffered its first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) loss of the season Saturday afternoon, as the Lyons fell to league power Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 7-0 in a battle of nationally-ranked teams. The Engineers captured their eighth straight regular season conference title in the NEWMAC's eight-year history.

Wheaton, which entered the match ranked 25th nationally according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), had its three-match winning streak snapped and fell to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference, while the Engineers, who stand 17th in the country, improved to 10-2 and 5-0.

Both teams had already secured a bye in the opening round of next weekend's NEWMAC Tournament, which Wheaton is slated to host beginning Saturday morning. The Lyons will host the winner of Clark University and Springfield College, while MIT, winners of the last seven tournament championships, will face the Babson College and United States Coast Guard Academy victor.

Seniors Nick Potter (Concord, NH/Concord) and Matt Sheers (Beacon, NY/Beacon) picked up an 8-5 victory at third doubles but the Lyons were unable to secure the point, as MIT's top two tandems won 8-3 and 8-5. In singles play, junior Brad Dressler (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) took freshman Peden Nichols (Great Falls, VA/Thomas Jefferson) to three sets before falling 10-4 in the super tiebreaker.

Junior Payum Payman (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) battled senior Evan Tindell (Boca Raton, FL/Boca Raton) in the top spot and lost 6-4, 6-4, while Sheers dropped a tough 7-5 second-set decision to junior Mark Egan (Chapel Hill, NC/East Chapel Hill) in the fourth position.

Wheaton finishes its regular season Monday at Wesleyan University at 3:30 p.m.

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