April 24, 2010

Final Stats

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- For the fourth consecutive year and the 11th time in event history, the championship match of the Patriot League Men's Tennis Tournament will feature Navy taking on Army. The Mids advanced to Sunday's final with a 4-0 semifinal-round victory over Bucknell Saturday afternoon in Lewisburg, Pa., while the Black Knights moved into the championship match by virtue of their 4-1 win over Lehigh Saturday morning.

Sunday's match between the Mids and the Black Knights will begin at 12 Noon at the West Branch Tennis Courts in Williamsport, Pa. It has been moved indoors due to the threat of poor weather in the area.

"We played extremely well today," said Navy head coach John Officer. "We were really ready to go, especially in singles. I think our match last week against Notre Dame really helped us get ready for this weekend."

Saturday, Navy (15-13) picked up victories at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles to earn the doubles point over third-seeded Bucknell (9-12). The Mids comfortably won the first doubles match to be completed as the tandem of Owen Bullard (Jr., Concord, N.C.) and Nicholas Gutsche (Fr., Sarasota, Fla.) posted an 8-1 win over Anton Kovic and Zach Hascoe at No. 1 doubles. Bucknell's No. 3 team of Josh Katten and Evan Zimmer then won an 8-4 decision over Eddie Konrad (So., The Woodlands, Texas) and Jeremy New (Jr., Glen Allen, Va.) to even the results up at one win apiece.

Navy would eventually win the doubles point when Nick Birger (Jr., Belleville, Ill.) and Ramsey Lemaich (Sr., Danville, Calif.) recorded a 9-7 victory over Gregg Cohenca and Ryan Marcil at No. 2 doubles. The teams were on serve with Navy holding an 8-7 lead when the Mids broke Bucknell's serve to win the match.

The Mids then won the first three singles matches to be completed to record the overall victory. Marcus Rebersak (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) won a 6-2, 6-2 decision over Cohenca at No. 2 singles, Bullard posted a 6-4, 6-1 win over Kovic and No. 1 singles and Zach Nicholson (So., Bowie, Md.) tallied Navy's fourth point of the match with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Zimmer at No. 5 singles.

In the remaining matches that were not completed once the Mids had recorded their fourth point of the day, New was just a few points away from posting a straight-set win at No. 4 singles, Gutsche had won the first set and was leading 3-2 in the second set of his No. 6 singles matches and Anderson Walls (Fr., Alpharetta, Ga.) was down a set and trailing 3-2 in the second set of his No. 3 singles match.

Navy holds a 7-3 advantage over Army when the two service academy programs have met in the title tilt of the tournament. This includes victories by the Mids over the Black Knights in each of the last three tournament finals.

Army posted a 4-3 victory over Navy when the two teams met earlier this month in Annapolis.

No. 2 Navy 4, No. 3 Bucknell 0
Doubles - Navy wins the doubles point
1. Owen Bullard / Nicholas Gutsche (N) def. Anton Kovic / Zach Hascoe, 8-1
2. Ramsey Lemaich / Nick Birger (N) def. Gregg Cohenca / Ryan Marcil, 9-7
3. Josh Katten / Evan Zimmer (B) def. Jeremy New / Eddie Konrad, 8-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles:
1. Owen Bullard (N) def. Anton Kovic, 6-4, 6-1
2. Marcus Rebersak (N) def. Gregg Cohenca, 6-2, 6-2
3. Josh Katten (B) led Anderson Walls, 6-3, 3-2 DNF
4. Jeremy New (N) led Ryan Marcil, 6-4, 5-2 DNF
5. Zach Nicholson (N) def. Evan Zimmer, 6-1, 6-3
6. Nicholas Gutsche (N) led Gregory Maxson, 6-2, 3-2 DNF
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 5 (3, 4 & 6 DNF)