Mitch Elofson and T. Connor Shives gave Gustavus a 3-0 lead after their win at No. 3 doubles against St. Thomas in the MIAC Playoffs on Thursday in St. Peter.
St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus men’s tennis team began postseason play with a 5-0 victory over the University of St. Thomas in the MIAC Playoff Semifinals on Thursday afternoon at the Brown Outdoor Courts. The Gusties earned all three doubles points before gaining the decision with two points in singles.
Thanks to their win, the Gusties earn a trip to the MIAC Playoff Championship where they will face Carleton College at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 back in St. Peter. The Knights earned a trip to the conference final thanks to a 6-3 win over St. Olaf College this afternoon. Gustavus heads into Saturday’s match with an overall record of 18-10.
The afternoon began with Mohanad Al-Houni (Tripoli, Libya) and Brad Entwistle (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) cruising past Scott Wall and Burke Anderson 8-1 at No. 2 doubles. Motasem Al-Houni (Sr., Tripoli, Libya) and Andres Saenz (So., Cancun, Mexico) put the Black and Gold on top 2-0 with their own 8-1 victory over Luke Elifson and Brady Radermacher at No. 1. Completing the sweep was T. Connor Shives (Fr., Rochester, Minn.) and Mitch Elofson (Jr., St. Peter, Minn.) with an 8-4 win over Matt Kavanagh and Ben Wait at No. 3.
In singles, Saenz picked up a victory by retirement over Anderson at the No. 3 spot, and Motasem Al-Houni brought the match to a close with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Radermacher at No. 2.
FROM THE MIAC
Saturday’s championship showdown between No. 1 Gustavus and No. 2 Carleton will be played on the Gusties’ home courts in St. Peter, Minn., at 1 p.m. Gustavus is aiming for a fifth-straight MIAC Playoff crown, while the Knights are trying to capture their second tournament title. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Playoffs.
The MIAC has a home page dedicated to the 2015 MIAC Men’s Tennis Playoffs, containing schedules, links and information on each of the six teams in the field. Throughout the tournament, the page will be updated with scores, stats, updated schedules and more. The MIAC also has an interactive tournament bracket so fans can follow the action in bracket form.
Fans can also track the MIAC Playoff action on the MIAC Scoreboard or the MIAC mobile app, which is a free download for both Apple and Android devices. Connect throughout the tournament on social media through the MIAC’s Facebook page or Twitter and Instagram accounts, using the hashtags #MIACMT and #MIACPlayoffs.