Ephs Claim NESCAC Men's Tennis Title With 5-4 Win Over Tufts

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. -- Senior Noah Reich bounced back from a first set loss at #5 singles to win the second and third sets by a score of 6-2 to secure the 2021 NESCAC Championship for Williams (6-1). The Ephs last won the NESCAC title in 2013 and the Ephs have won the most NESCAC titles overall with 16.
 
Tufts (4-2) was looking for their first NESCAC title since 1989 this afternoon and the Jumbos were appearing in their first NESCAC final since 2006.
 
Tufts came out strong, taking a decisive 2-1 lead following the doubles matches. The Ephs #2 doubles team of Chase Cohen and Austin Barr scored the first point of the day with an 8-4 victory over Paris Pentousis and Mauricio Gutierrez.  Tufts fought back winning the next doubles matches with an 8-6 win over Williams' #3 team of Noah Reich and Karan Amin.  The #1 team for the Ephs Arturo Kam and Calvin Chung was then defeated by Boris Sorkin and Josh Belandres 8-6.
 
Heading into the singles matches with a 2-1 deficit, Chase Cohen got the Ephs started with 6-2, 6-1 win over Rishabh Sharda in the #4 matchup to even the score.  Feeding off the momentum, senior Arturo Kam defeated Boris Sorkin 6-1, 6-4 in the #1 matchup giving Williams a 3-2 lead.
 
The Jumbos quickly evened the score with Owen Bartok downing the Ephs' Karan Amin 6-4, 6-2 at #6 singles.  Senior Calving Chung returned the lead to the Ephs with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Paris Pentousis in the #3 match and then the Jumbos' Isaac Gorelik evened the score once again, defeating Austin Barr in the #2 match 7-6(7), 6-1.
 
With the score tied 4-4, the #5 match between Noah Reich and Tufts' Jack Moldenhauer headed into a third set.  Following a 6-3 first set loss, the Eph senior battled back in the second set winning 6-2 to force a third set.  With the NESCAC title and an NCAA Tournament berth on the line, Reich put on a phenomenal performance, winning again 6-2 and clinched match and the NESCAC title.
 
"To see Noah Reich clinch it in a third set, was as good as it gets," noted Eph head coach Dan Greenberg.  "All these guys trained so hard all year, without even knowing if there'd be a season, so this is really rewarding,"
 
"It was an incredible match from start to finish," Greenberg stated as he gave credit to Tufts, mentioning the tremendous energy they brought in doubles to take an early 2-1 lead.  The Eph coach was proud of how his team rebounded in singles and he is "excited to see them keep building for the NCAAs."
 
The NCAA will announce tomorrow where and when the Ephs will play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Doubles:
Boris Sorkin/Josh Belanders (TUF) d. Calvin Chung/Arturo Kam (WIL),  8-6                   
Chase Cohen/Austin Barr (WIL) d. Paris Pentousis/Mauricio Gutierrez (TUF), 8-4
Niko Hereford/Rishabh Sharda (TUF) d. Noah Reich/Karan Amin (WIL), 8-6
 
Singles:
Arturo Kam (WIL) d. Boris Sorkin (TUF), 6-1, 6-4
Isaac Gorelik (TUF) d. Austin Barr (WIL), 7-6 (9-7), 6-1
Calvin Chung (WIL) d. Paris Pentousis (TUF), 7-5, 6-4
Chase Cohen (WIL) d. Rishabh Sharda (TUF), 6-3, 6-1
Noah Reich (WIL) d. Jack Moldenhauer (TUF), 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Karan Amin (TUF) d. Owen Bartok (WIL), 6-4, 6-2