Lehigh University
Bucknell
Lehigh tops Bucknell to keep tourney hopes alive
4/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
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“This is just a testament to the toughness of all our guys,” said head coach Dave Shook. “They just wanted it so bad, and they were able to come back and get it. They deserve it.”
Bucknell took two of three doubles matches to take an early 1-0 lead. Each team won one doubles match, with freshman Drew Balshi and junior Ryan Lloyd winning over Dan Bednarek and Jon Brenner 8-5. The rubber match was a thriller at first doubles, where Asher Salam and Ira Reibeison needed a tiebreaker to defeat senior Randall Smalley and sophomore John Nespoli.
The Mountain Hawks came out strong in singles play, capturing the first set in all six matches. Nespoli tied the team score at one, but beating Brenner in straight sets. Junior Alfredo-Fernandez-Concha and Smalley followed with wins at third and first singles respectively, meaning Lehigh needed just one more win to claim the match. Balshi provided the clincher, defeating Ben Young in two hard-fought sets 7-5, 7-5. Lloyd also picked up a win, in three sets over Salam, while Sandburg defeated Lehigh junior Brad Nelson, for the Bison’s only singles win.
The win ties Lehigh with Colgate for the fourth and final spot in the Patriot League Tournament, with the Mountain Hawks holding a tiebreaker thanks to a head-to-head win. The tournament picture will be complete when league play wraps up this weekend. Depending on other results, Lehigh can qualify as the number four seed for the tournament, which will take place Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30 on the home courts of the highest seed. Currently, Army and American are tied for first and the winner of their match this weekend will most likely earn the right to host.
Lehigh 5 Bucknell 2
Doubles
1. Salam/Reibeison (BU) def. Smalley/Nespoli (LU) 9-8 (7-6)
2. Lashnits/Sandberg (BU) def. Nelson/Fernandez-Concha (LU) 8-4
3. Balshi/Lloyd (LU) def. Bednarek/Brenner (BU) 8-5
Singles
1. Randall Smalley (LU) def. Ira Reibeison (BU) 6-3, 6-1
2. Ryan Lloyd (LU) def. Asher Salam (BU) 7-5, 2-6, 10-6
3. Alfredo Fernandez-Concha (LU) def. John Lashnits (BU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Ryan Sandburg (BU) def. Brad Nelson (LU) 5-7, 6-3, 10-7
5. John Nespoli (LU) def. Jon Brenner (BU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Andrew Balshi (LU) def. Ben Young (BU) 7-5, 7-5
