ST. PETER, Minn. - After suffering a 4-5 heartbreaker earlier in the day to the University of Dubuque Spartans, the Eagles traveled from Owatonna to St. Peter to compete against the Bethany Lutheran Vikings at Gustavus' indoor bubble courts on Saturday. Heading into the match, the Eagles knew they'd have their work cut out for them against a revamped Vikings roster.
In doubles play, the Vikings wasted no time at #1 doubles with
Adam Ryerse (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) and
Jack Geurkink (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) falling behind 1-6. However, the Eagles duo of
Tyrus Studer (Rapid City, S.D./Stevens) and
Darin Rupp (Sioux Falls, S.D./Roosevelt) at #3 doubles jumped to an early lead and did not look back, finishing with a score of 8-3 and notching the first point of the afternoon. In the middle court, the #2 doubles team of Stew Morrell and
Jacob Weddle (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) battled back and forth in a tightly contested match. On court #1, Ryerse and Geurkink were able to get in a groove late, but it was too little too late as the #1 duo fell 3-8 to even the team score up at 1-a-piece. All eyes fell to #2 doubles to see who would emerge with the point advantage heading into singles play. About midway through the match, Morrell and Weddle stumbled on serve and were down a break for the remainder of the match. Down 5-6 and with time slipping away, the Eagles were unable to break the Vikings' serve and were unable to hold, putting an end to their doubles match with a final score of 5-8.
The Eagles, priding themselves on strong doubles play, found themselves in a bit of an unusual scenario, down 1-2 in the team score heading into singles and needing to find at least four wins across the board in singles to emerge victorious with the team match. It was the senior
Isaac Velgersdyk (Savage, Minn./Southwest Christian) who first took the court for #5 singles play. Velgersdyk was caught in a first set bout featuring haymakers from both corners, but Velgersdyk did not flinch, edging his opponent 7-5 to take the first set advantage. On the next two courts, it was Stew Morrell and
Adam Ryerse (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) that mirrored Velgersdyk's efforts and narrowly edged their opponent in the first set, both with scores of 6-4 at #1 and #2 singles respectively.
Back at #5 singles, Velgersdyk unquestionably put to bed any hope his opponent may have gained in the first set and cruised to a fiery second set win of 6-1, knotting things up 2-2 on the team scoreboard. At #2 singles, Ryerse lost some of his momentum from the first set and fell behind early in the second set. He was able to regain some momentum late and gear up for the first, third set super tiebreaker of the evening, dropping his second set 2-6. In the super breaker, Ryerse also fell behind early and wasn't able to overcome the deficit, falling 6-4, 2-6, 4-10. On the next court, #1 singles player Stew Morrell was able to keep things close and force a second set tiebreaker. And staying consistent with his second set, Morrell was able to keep things close but stumbled late in the tiebreaker, surrendering a 5-7 loss which meant that #1 singles was headed to the second, third set super tiebreaker of the night. In the super breaker, Morrell started off with an early lead of 5-1 but the Vikings were able to even things up at 5-5. Morrell decided that enough was enough and ended the match winning the next 5 out of 6 points, giving him the 6-4, 7-6 (5), 10-6 victory and evening the scoreboard up at 3-a-piece.
To end the match, the Eagles needed to win two of the last three matches. Those hopes were in the hands of #3 single's
Jacob Weddle (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander), #4 single's
Jack Geurkink (Hudson, Wis./Hudson), and #6 single's
Tyrus Studer (Rapid City, S.D./Stevens). At #3 and #4 singles, it was looking as if Weddle and Geurkink would be the ones to get the job done, winning their first sets with scores of 6-3 and 6-2 respectively. In the middle court, Studer was able to come back from an early deficit but fell 4-6 in the first set. At the end of the first sets, it was the Eagles who had the two match advantage. In second set action, Weddle was able to capitalize on his first set victory and battle to secure the 6-4 win with a rowdy, "Let's go," on match point. With Weddle's victory, the Eagles took the narrow lead at 4-3 with just two matches left.
In Geurkink's second set at #4 singles, he struggled a little more as the Vikings started to heat up. Geurkink pushed the Vikings but fell 4-6 in the second set which meant the Eagles and Vikings were going to the third, third set super tiebreaker of the evening. In this super breaker, it was the Vikings who took an early lead and were on the precipice of evening the team score up at 4-4 as Geurkink faced a 1-7 mountain in the race to 10. But Geurkink dug deep and rattled off the next six points in a row to make things interesting at 7-7. With #4 singles splitting the next two points, it was Geurkink who was able to take a one point advantage, 9-8. On match point, Guerkink was able to get in the rally and work his opponent from side to side on the court and pounded a forehand deep down down the line to his opponent's backhand in which the Vikings were able to float back a defensive shot; and Guerkink, looking to take time away from his opponent, struck the ball in mid-air with a swinging, backhand volley down the line for the individual and team match clincher. With the thunderous cheers from Northwestern's fans and teammates, the Eagles narrowly edged the Vikings with a team score of 5-3 with one match left to play.
With the Eagles looking to drive back home with a 6-3 victory, it was #6 singles
Tyrus Studer (Rapid City, S.D./Stevens) that was able to come back yet again in the second set and force a second set tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Studer took control and made the necessary plays to force the fourth and final third set super tie breaker of the evening. In the super breaker, Studer kept things interesting but fell behind late and ultimately wasn't able to make another comeback dropping the super breaker with a score of 5-10. The win at #6 singles for the Vikings brought things to a close at 5-4 for the night, but it was the Eagles who were able to control team singles play, win two of the four super breakers, and do just enough to squeak past the Vikings.
The Eagles look to rest up and make a quick turnaround this week with matches against Simpson College in Iowa on Tuesday and Minnesota Morris on Saturday afternoon. But it is the main-ticket event on Saturday evening at 6:00pm on Northwestern's campus that everyone will be talking about, as the Eagles and Vikings go to battle once more in regular season conference play. And if this one is as good as advertised folks, you'll want to make sure to get your popcorn ready.
