2007 season preview

March 7, 2007

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College men's tennis team brings a senior-heavy lineup to the court in 2007, and 18th-year head coach Lynn Miller looks for the veterans to lead while the younger players become acclimated to the college game.

"We should be able to beat some teams and challenge for one of the top spots in the conference," said Miller, who has posted 436 total victories at Wheaton, including 170 with the men's team. "We're going to have to play our best tennis to beat some of the teams we've beaten in the past. My main goal is to be in the upper half of the NEWMAC, and it would be nice to go to the finals again. Everything has to come together, and our doubles teams need to gel."

Wheaton went 11-6 overall last year, including 4-1 in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), and drew its first Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national ranking in the April 17 poll at number 25. The Lyons finished second in the regular season standings, claiming at least a tie of the runner-up spot for the fourth straight year. In advancing to its second straight final, Wheaton fell to eight-time NEWMAC champion Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Blue and White posted a 21-9 mark against conference teams during the past four seasons and suffered seven of those losses at the hands of the perennially-strong Engineers.

The Lyons return a quintet of seniors in Brian Danishevsky (Hamden, CT/Hamden Hall Country Day School), Brad Dressler (Cranston, RI/Cranston West), captain Payum Payman (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington), Raymour Radhakrishnan (Amherst, NH/Bridgton Academy) and Will Stoddard (Huntington, VT/Mount Mansfield Union).

Payman is the most decorated of the bunch, as he was the Northeast region's lone alternate for the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The 17th-ranked player in the most recent ITA regional poll, Payman is a five-time NEWMAC All-Conference player, being named to the second team at first singles each of his three years. Payman has 96 career wins between singles and doubles.

Danishevsky has also been a five-time all-conference honoree, while Dressler earned four awards. As a doubles tandem, Dressler and Payman are ranked 12th regionally. Stoddard, a two-time academic all-conference qualifier, drew league honors at third singles following his freshman season.

Junior Thomas Fearon (Cambridge, United Kingdom/Cushing Academy) and sophomore Nii Manfoi Davies (Town & Country, MO/The Principia) round out the corps of returning players. Five freshmen join the team, all New England natives in Chapman Beekman (South Kingstown, RI/South Kingstown), Jeffrey Holman (Dorset, VT/Burr and Burton Academy), Kyle Hudgins (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge), James Little (Mount Desert, ME/Mount Desert Island) and Eric Pelletier (Bangor, ME/Bangor).
Miller said Wheaton's top three singles slots have been decided, as Danishevsky, Dressler and Payman will each hold down one of the positions. The next trio of openings will be filled on a rotating basis between the quartet of Hudgins, Little, Radhakrishnan and Stoddard.

"Our success in the NEWMAC depends on how quickly our fourth, fifth and sixth singles players come along," said Miller, a three-time conference coach of the year. "It's not a given that our top three will win every tough match." Miller said the Lyons, who have finished with a record of .500 or better 14 times in their 17-year existence, will need Radhakrishnan and Stoddard to step up at the end of the lineup.

"We have two seniors, and then Kyle has the least pressure on him because he's a freshman," proclaimed Miller in assessing the final three singles positions. "With his attitude, Kyle will get better every year, but I'm not sure how much we'll see this spring because it's a learning year for him." Miller also said Little will make singles appearances this year but, like Hudgins, he is still making the transition to college tennis.

In doubles play, Miller's top two pairings had no experience playing together entering their senior seasons, while three Lyons could see time at the third position. At the top spot, Dressler and Payman went 2-1 during the fall portion of the schedule, while the second doubles tandem of Danishevsky and Stoddard split its two fall matches. In the third position, Radhakrishnan will likely be the mainstay, while his partner will be either Hudgins or Little on any given day. The two freshmen might also make appearances as partners. In his career, Radhakrishnan has gone 10-1 in doubles action.

Wheaton's remaining five athletes - Beekman, Davies, Fearon, Holman and Pelletier - could each see time in exhibition matches. Miller said that with the quintet being such a young group, the athletes will benefit as they try to improve their skills in sub-varsity competition. Each could also slide into matches should injuries to the top seven arise.

The Lyons open a 13-match regular season schedule with their annual spring break trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina. Wheaton will take on four opponents down south, including 2006 Empire 8 Conference regular season champion and tournament finalist Nazareth College, as well as Rhodes College, which went 14-6 last spring.

Up north, Wheaton will face Tufts University and Brandeis University, the 13th- and 14th-ranked regional teams, respectively. The Blue and White also takes on Skidmore College, the 2006 Liberty League regular season and tournament champion, in addition to facing Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament semifinalist Roger Williams University. The Lyons complete their slate against MIT, which is ranked 22nd nationally, before the NEWMAC Tournament begins on April 26. The semifinal and championship matches will occur on April 28 at MIT.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 3/7/07.
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