Men’s Tennis Spring Break Matches in Orlando, Florida
March 19, 2012
Hope 9
Knox 0
Box Score
Hope College (MI) shut out the Prairie Fire on the final day of the team’s spring trip to Orlando, Florida.
Sophomore Max Gatyas (Plymouth, WI, Plymouth) played in the closest singles match against the Flying Dutchmen (3-3). He met Dan Owens in #6 singles and fell 6-2, 7-5.
Two of the Fire’s doubles teams stayed close with Hope. The #2 doubles team of junior Shaun Mulani (Bourbonnais, IL, Bradley-Bourbannais) and first-year Karolis Ruzgas (Downers Grove, IL, Downers Grove North) lost 8-6 while junior David Ham (Lakewood, WA, Shadow Ridge) and first-year Jonathan Ng (Hong Kong, China) dropped an 8-5 decision in their #3 doubles match.
Knox (3-8) resumes play in a Midwest Conference match at home against Monmouth College on Saturday, March 31.
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March 15, 2012
Siena 8
Knox 1
Box Score
Siena College, an NCAA Division I school in Albany, NY, won all six singles matches but couldn’t sweep the Prairie Fire in doubles play on Thursday.
Knox’s #1 doubles team of senior Erik Hane (Littleton, CO, Mullen) and first-year Walter Palmer (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) defeated the Saints’ duo of Alex Burbine and Peter Collins 9-8 (7-4). The Fire lost the two other doubles matches 8-1 (#2) and 8-0 (#3).
Siena improved to 3-9 with the win while the Prairie Fire’s record is 3-7.
Knox takes on Hope College (MI) on Monday, March 19. The Flying Dutchmen are 2-3 so far this season.
March 14, 2012
McKendree 8
Knox 1
Box Score
Wesleyan 8
Knox 1
Box Score
The Bearcats won five of the six singles matches and swept the doubles competition against the Prairie Fire.
Knox’s win was in the #6 singles match between sophomore Max Gatyas (Plymouth, WI, Plymouth) and McKendree’s Jake Halde. Gatyas posted a 6-1, 6-3 victory. Junior David Ham (Lakewood, WA, Shadow Ridge) made his opponent work for a win in the #5 match. Ham took the first set 6-3 before falling 6-1 and 10-6 in the next two.
McKendree (6-2) won in doubles play 8-0 (#1 flight), 8-2 (#2 flight), and 8-4 (#3 flight).
The final score was the same (8-1) against Wesleyan University (CT), which improved to 12-1 on the season. It’s the best start in the history of the Cardinals’ men’s tennis program after 13 matches, according to the University’s sports information staff.
The Prairie Fire prevented a shutout by winning the #1 doubles match. Senior Erik Hane (Littleton, CO, Mullen) and first-year player Walter Palmer (Wilmette, IL, New Trier) defeated Donovan Suh and Zach Mintz 8-6.
Hane didn’t go down easily in his #1 singles match against Suh. He won the first set 6-1 before dropping the next two 6-2 and 6-2.
Wesleyan won the two other doubles matches 8-6 (#2 flight) and 8-4 (#3 flight).
The Prairie Fire takes on NCAA Division I Siena College (NY) on Thursday.
