WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – They weren't shutouts, but the returns remained the same for the Ursinus College men's tennis team in matches against Lake Forest and Roger Williams on Thursday. The Bears claimed two of the three doubles matches to gain just enough separation to hold off the Foresters for a 5-4 win, then handled the Hawks, 7-2, to put the finishing touches on a 5-0 spring trip.
Ursinus (5-0) has won five consecutive matches for the first time since 2013, and the Bears' start is the best in at least 15 years – possibly in the history of the program.
Coming off three consecutive shutouts for the first time in five years, the Bears faced stiffer competition this time and elevated their play accordingly.
Junior Chanton Phan and sophomore Peter Shields got Ursinus off to a quick lead on Lake Forest, capturing an 8-4 decision at third doubles. The Foresters (5-5) leveled the playing field with a 9-8 (4) win at first doubles, as Dan Pivonka and John Snider eked past Bears sophomore Max Oberholtzer and freshman Paul Vecchio. But senior captains Tyler Arsenault and Dalton Lynch came through, persevering for a 9-7 triumph in the second flight that sent the Bears into singles play with the upper hand, 2-1.
The slim advantage proved to be all the difference when the two evenly matched sides split their six singles showdowns. Despite the final score, Ursinus left little room for drama, clinching the match with three straight victories before Lake Forest ran off the final three of the morning.
Vecchio continued his dominance of the fifth singles flight with a 6-0, 6-1 result, and Shields consolidated the momentum with a 6-4, 6-0 verdict at sixth singles before Oberholtzer gave the Bears an insurmountable lead with a 6-1, 1-6, 10-8 thriller opposite Pivonka on the top court.
The Foresters won at second, third, and fourth singles to close the final gap to one.
In the nightcap, Phan joined fellow junior Henry Burke to post an 8-2 victory at third doubles. Oberholtzer and Vecchio wound up on the short end of an 8-6 final at first doubles, but Arsenault and Lynch kept their unblemished spring record intact with an 8-6 win at number two.
Once again, the Bears wasted little time locking up their latest conquest. Arsenault won via retirement at number two singles, and Vecchio logged his second 6-0, 6-0 shutout of the week; the freshman left Florida with more individual victories (4) than total games lost (2) in four singles matches. Oberholtzer won 6-0, 6-2 on the top court to seal it for Ursinus.
Shields was a 6-2, 6-2 winner at number six, and Phan rallied for a 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 result at number four. Lynch dropped a 10-8 super tiebreaker in the third set to round out the competition.
Ursinus welcomes Lebanon Valley and Juniata to Collegeville for its home opener on Saturday, March 19.
Coaches Corner
"This group of guys put together a week that was nothing short of amazing." head coach Pete Smith said. "Our captains (Tyler Arsenault and Dalton Lynch) have done an amazing job at making this team their own, and the guys have followed them down a path that has led to great success so far. We have faced some real adversity as a group, and the guys rose to the occasion each and every time on this trip. In 9 years I have never had a team go undefeated on Spring Break, and this team accomplished just that through hard work and perseverance. We got great contributions from our veterans and newcomers, and I could not be more proud of them. This has a chance to be a special season."