April
27, 2007
Haverford Tops Washington in Centennial Semifinal, 5-3;
Fords Will Face #13 Johns Hopkins Sunday in CC Championship
BEL AIR, MD -Sophomore
Evan Stiegel registered the match-clinching fifth team point with
a 7-6 (1), 6-3 win over Brian Danver at No. 4 singles to lift
second-seeded Haverford past third-seeded Washington College,
5-3, in a Centennial Conference men's tennis semifinal match Friday
afternoon. Haverford will compete for its first ever Centennial
Championship on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. against 13th-ranked Johns
Hopkins, in Baltimore. The Fords, ranked eighth in the Atlantic
South region, improved to 13-3 overall on the season with the
win, while the Shoremen fall to 8-11 in their final dual match
of the season.
Senior co-captain Elmar Trust and junior
Marc Adelberg topped Washington's Rafael Roldan and Brian Danver,
8-1 at No. 2 doubles, while sophomores Marc Rudolph and Evan Stiegel
defeated Michal Switala and Derek Wise, 8-5. Haverford sophomore's
Alex Buxbaum and Tom Kinrade, ranked ninth in the Atlantic South
region in doubles, fell in a closely contested battle at No. 1
doubles, 9-8 (3) to make the score 2-1 in Haverford's favor after
doubles competition.
Trust put Haverford up 3-1 with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Green at No.
3 singles, but Washington moved within 3-2 after Centennial Conference
Player of the Year and the 7th-ranked player in the Atlantic South,
Arturo Solis, defeated Buxbaum at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-3. Sophomore
Steve Feder put the Fords back up 4-2 with a 7-5, 6-0 win over
Switala, but once again the Shoremen came back with another point
when Roldan escaped Kinrade with a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (8-6) win at
No. 2 singles.
Stiegel took the first set from Danver at No. 4 singles, 7-6 (7-1).
With Stiegel up 3-2 in the second set, the match was moved from
the indoor Emmorton Recreation and Tennis Center, to the lit outdoor
courts at Harford Community College. After the change of location,
Stiegel finished off Danver with a 6-3 second set win, giving
the Fords the 5-3 win. No. 6 singles was not finished as the match
was called upon decision per Centennial Conference Tournament
rules.
Head men's tennis coach Sean Sloane was blunt when asked about
Haverford's performance on the court Friday afternoon. "We
treed," said Sloane. Haverford will do battle for its first
ever Centennial championship against Johns Hopkins on Sunday at
11:00 a.m. in Baltimore. The top-seeded Blue Jays defeated Dickinson,
5-0, earlier in the day to advance to the championship. Hopkins
narrowly defeated the Fords, 5-3, in their only match of the season,
in Baltimore, back on April 20.
