Brunswick, ME- The Ephs fell to the Bowdoin Polar Bears in the Sweet sixteen, in another classic battle between the two powerhouse teams. In doubles play, the Ephs opened up with a win on 1, as
Nicholas Chen and
Matt Kandel won their match 8-5. Bowdoin tied up the match at 1-1 with an 8-6 win on 3. The second court came down to a tiebreaker, which ultimately Bowdoin would win, 7-5. So the Ephs headed into singles down 2-1.
Needing four singles matches to win, the Ephs looked to be in a good spot after winning four first sets. Chen cruised through his first on 2,
Leon Liu came back from 0-3 in the first set to win it 6-4,
Simon Volkema looked inevitable as we won his first set 6-3, and
Shawn Berdia clinched his set in a tiebreaker, 7-6. After Bowdoin won on courts 6 and 1, they found themselves up 4-1 overall, and one match away from the clinch. However, Liu and Chen both showed their clutch genes, winning in straight sets and putting the match at 4-3 overall. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be Williams' day, as they fell just short in the end, and Bowdoin secured their fifth and final victory.
The Eph team season finished with a stellar 16-5 record. Eph head coach
Dan Greenberg commented on the season, "This year was definitely a battle for us from start to finish. Most of the top ten teams in the country have between 10-15 guys on their roster, and we went to war every match with only 7. Injuries happen of course, and so there were multiple matches we only had 6, and of those six some guys were not at their healthiest. Regardless of that, this team never made excuses, and I am thankful for the amazing year we have had together." Captain
Matt Kandel also was quoted, saying, "Today was a heartbreaking way to end our season, but the truth is I wouldn't trade this season for anything in the world. There was something special about everyone on our team playing in the lineup, and knowing that we would all be competing alongside our best friends is a feeling that I am so lucky to have had this year."
Doubles
Kandel/Chen (WIL) def. Bradley/Staples (BOW) 8-5
Bradley/Codd (BOW) def. Berdia/Chong (WIL) 8-7(5)
Mendelson/Breuker (BOW) def. Volkema/Anand (WIL) 8-6
Singles
Bradley (BOW) vs. Kandel (WIL) 6-3, 6-4
Chen (WIL) def. Staples (BOW) 6-3, 6-1
Berdia (WIL) vs. Breuker (BOW) 7-6,(3) 3-4
Kneiss (BOW) def. Volkema (WIL) 3-6, 6-0, 6-0
Liu (WIL) def. Bradley (BOW) 6-4, 7-5
Mendelson (BOW) def. Anand (WIL) 6-1, 6-2
