Gustavus 9, Saint John’s 0 (Box) | Photo Gallery
SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College men’s tennis team began postseason play with a 9-0 victory over Saint John’s University in the MIAC Playoff Semifinals played Friday afternoon at the Swanson Tennis Center. The Gusties earned all three doubles points before sweeping each of the six singles matches. Gustavus now advances to Sunday’s MIAC Playoff Championship match that will be played in St. Peter.
“We don’t take anything for granted and feel honored to be in this situation again,” said Coach Tommy Valentini. “It’s a special tradition, but this has been a unique journey for this particular group. The guys have worked hard in new roles and handled it well. Saint John’s is a very good team and we feel fortunate with the result today, particularly in the doubles matches. We’re excited we get to be a team for a little bit longer and are looking forward to another opportunity to come out and enjoy another challenge.”
The Gusties’ Mohanad Alhouni and Andres Saenz got the momentum rolling for the Black and Gold, as the No. 1 doubles team earned a quick 8-2 win over Jack Hansen and Tim Larson of Saint John’s. The combos of Zach Ekstein/Tommy Entwistle at No. 2 and Mitch Elofson/David Hagberg at No. 3 also earned victories at their respective spots to give the home team a 3-0 advantage heading into singles play.
There, Alhouni gave his squad a 4-0 lead with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Hansen, and Patrick Whaling clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Hunter Krebsbach at the sixth position.
The Gusties will now face Carleton College in the MIAC Playoff Championship that will take place Sunday in St. Peter. That match is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
From the MIAC
The MIAC has a home page dedicated to the 2016 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.