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Men’s Tennis Takes 4th at NEAC’s; Barker Named to 3rd Team
April 29, 2009
Sophomore Patrick Barker earned a spot on the All-NEAC third team.
The Keuka College men’s tennis team placed fourth at the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Championships that took place at the Birchwood Tennis Center in Clarks Summit, PA on April 23-24. SUNY Oneonta placed first and was followed by Penn State-Berks (second place) and Penn State-Harrisburg (third place).
In the team portion of the championships, Keuka was awarded the #4 seed and had to square off against top-seeded Oneonta in its first match. Keuka fell 6-0, dropping all three doubles matches by scores of (8-1, 8-3, and 8-0). The Storm lost the first three singles matches while the last three were not finished.
Keuka then took on Penn State-Harrisburg in the consolation match. The Nittany Lions defeated Keuka 5-1 with the Storm earning its lone point from a doubles win by Junior Casey Dahlstrom (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) and sophomore Blaine Phair (Pembroke, NH/Pembroke) in the third flight (8-6). Keuka lost the top two flights of doubles and the top two singles matches before the match was stopped.
On the second day, the indiviudal portion of the tournament took place. In singles, sophomore Patrick Barker (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) was given the #4 seed in the top flight and after losing his first match (6-2, 6-2) to the eventual NEAC Tennis Player of the Year from SUNY Oneonta, upset the #3 seed from Penn State-Harrisburg by walk over. The win placed Barker on the All-NEAC third team.
Junior Mike Fischer (Kattskill Bay, N.Y./Lake George) lost both of his matches in the third flight by scores of (6-0, 6-1) and (6-1, 6-2). Senior Justin Roe (Port Byron, N.Y./Port Byron) fell (6-0, 6-0) in his first flight No. 4 match and then lost a close match (2-6, 7-6 [7-5], 6-1) in the consolation match. Fellow senior James Fitch (Perry, N.Y./Perry) fell (6-0, 6-0) and (6-3, 7-5) in his sixth flight matches.
In doubles, Keuka’s top flight of Fischer and junior Will Fisher (Watkinsville, GA/Oconee) had to play in the play-in match and fell 8-4 to a duo from SUNY Cobleskill. The No. 2 seeded duo of Barker and Roe were upset by the No. 3 seed from Penn State-Harrisburg 8-1 in its first match and then lost 8-2 to a duo from Penn State-Berks. In the third flight, Phair and Dahlstrom lost 8-0 and then 8-6 in the consolation match.
