Wheaton slips against Babson, suffers first NEWMAC defeat of season

April 9, 2008

BABSON PARK, MA- For the first time since 2004, the Wheaton College men's tennis team lost to a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe other than perennial power Massachusetts Institute Technology (MIT), as the Lyons dropped a 6-3 decision on Wednesday to Babson College at Hartwell Courts. Wheaton, which is ranked 18th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Northeast region poll, had a four-match winning streak snapped in falling to 8-3 overall and 2-1 in the NEWMAC. Babson improves to 8-8 and 2-1.

The Lyons had been 17-6 in regular season and postseason league play since losing to the Beavers in a NEWMAC Tournament semifinal in 2004, suffering all six of those losses to nine-time conference champ MIT. Wheaton had not dropped a regular season league match to a squad other than the Engineers since 2003.

In doubles play, Wheaton split at the first two positions before losing in a tiebreaker at number three. The Lyon tandem of sophomore Kyle Hudgins (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) and freshman Brian Krantz (Milford, CT/Joseph A. Foran) notched an 8-1 triumph in the second slot, while freshmen Harry Altman (Riverdale, NY/The Dwight School) and Cullen Garrity (Middletown, MD/Saint James School) fell 9-8 in the third position after losing 7-5 in the tiebreaker.

Wheaton later won twice in singles while dropping two close matches. Hudgins corralled a 6-1, 6-4 triumph at three, while Krantz was victorious 6-1, 6-1 at four. At five, Altman lost by a 6-4, 7-6 final.

In the second slot, sophomore James Little (Mount Desert, ME/Mount Desert Island) won the first set and lost the second set by identical 6-4 scores before his deciding third set was tied at three when darkness set in. He and senior Ben Edick (Delray Beach, FL/Saint Andrew's School) played a super tiebreaker to determine the winner, with Edick taking a 10-7 decision.

The Lyons continue NEWMAC play on Saturday at Springfield College at 1:00 p.m.

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