Box Score ST. PAUL, Minn. - Looking to build off an exciting 4-3 win over the University of Wisconsin-Superior last week, the University of Northwestern Men's Tennis team was on home soil against Bethany Lutheran College Monday night, facing a new and talented Vikings lineup. The Eagles could not keep up with the Vikings, as they lost 1-6.
Both the Vikings and Eagles showed their strength in doubles. Starting off at No. 2 doubles, Griffen Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) and Jacob Petrick (Omaha, Neb./Elkhorn North) were unable to find any momentum and lost 1-6. Luckily for UNW, Caleb Swigart (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park) and Zander Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin), at No. 3 doubles, got out to a dominant lead and put the Eagles back in the game with a 6-2 win. All coming down to No. 1 doubles, Carson Haack (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and Sam Majerus (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) fought back-and-forth with the Vikings, eventually heading to a tiebreaker at 6-6. Again, things stayed even as both teams traded points back and forth, but at 3-3, the Vikings made a run of three points won in a row with great net play, setting up three match point opportunities. The Eagles were able to fend off the first two, but fell on the third, losing 6-7 (5-7) as BLC secured the doubles point.
Haack (No. 1) started off play in singles with very tight and even points between himself and his opponent in the first two sets, but was unable to convert it into the Eagles' favor, losing 3-6, 4-6. Majerus picked up a solid lead in the first set of the No. 3 match, but the Vikings were able to find a way to pick up the first set and use that momentum to head into the second set. Majerus tried to find something that worked, but it was too late as he suffered a 4-6, 3-6 defeat. At No. 2 singles, Jarchow dropped the first set, but built a substantial 4-1 lead in the second set. However, the Vikings found a way to crawl back into the set and steal away the set and the match, as Jarchow lost 3-6, 5-7, which clinched the win for the Vikings.
Isaac Thomforde (Crookston, Minn./Crookston) (No. 4) would fall 1-6, 3-6, and Carsen Kramer (Faribault, Minn/Faribault) (No. 5) also suffered a 2-6, 2-6 defeat as the Vikings used their firepower against the Eagles. Finishing off singles, Petrick (No. 6), with nothing to lose, played great as he set up his points well to pull ahead against the Vikings and won with a score of 6-2, 6-3.
The Eagles will be home once again on Thursday, April 23rd, against Concordia College (MN) at 1:00 PM.
