Oct. 30, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Penn State men's tennis team turned in a superb effort in doubles action at day one of the Big Ten Indoors Tournament, capturing titles in both doubles draws. This fall was the first time ever that the Big Ten held a doubles tournament. Singles action on the Michigan State campus begins on Saturday.
Sophomore Jason Lee (Melbourne, Australia) and junior Eddie Bourchier (Hobart, Australia) picked up four doubles wins to capture the Flight "A" doubles crown. Additionally, senior Guillaume St-Maurice (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) and sophomore Taylor Cohen (Philadelphia, Pa.) turned in a dominant performance as well as they captured the "B" flight championship.
"This is an exciting day for our program to have both teams advance to the finals," said head coach Todd Doebler. "All and all, it was a great day, and hopefully we can carry this over to the spring season."
The Nittany Lions had four doubles pairings competing on Friday going a dominating 12-2 on the day. Freshman Warren Hardie (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and senior Ryan Gormley (Las Vegas, Nev.) picked up three wins in Flight "A" and eventually lost to their teammates in Lee and Bourchier, 9-8 (4), in the finals. Freshmen Bryan Welnetz (Laredo, Texas) and C.J. Griffin (Portland, Mich.) tabbed a 1-1 day for Penn State.
In the Flight "A" bracket, Bourchier and Lee started off with a 8-2 victory over Michigan State's John Stratton and Austin Brooks. Following a victory over the Spartans, they paved their way into the semifinals with an 8-4 win over Indiana's Alex Van Gils and Stephen Vogl. The pairing of Australian natives for the Nittany Lions then buried Illinois' Marek Czerwinski and Abe Souza, 8-1, to cruise into the finals. Lee and Bourchier finished the fall with a 10-1 record in doubles action.
"Eddie and Jason winning two of the three doubles tournaments this fall hopefully shows they can be a good doubles pairing come this spring," said Doebler. "It is great to see all their hard work and buying in at practice to pay off."
Gormley and Hardie took a similar path as Bourchier and Lee in Flight "A" as well. In the first round, the Nittany Lions defeated Indiana's Santiago Gruter and Josh MacTaggart, 8-5. The pairing then picked up a 8-3 victory over Northwestern's Andrew McCarthy and Eric Specter. Gormley and Hardie then finished off Iowa's Will Vasos and Tommy McGeorge, 8-4, to advance to the finals.
In Flight "B" doubles, St-Maurice and Cohen began their title run with an 8-5 win over Purdue's Slavko Bijelica and Matt Manasse in the first round. The Lions then advanced to the semifinals after defeating Northwestern's Mark Schanerman and Chris Jackman, 8-3. St-Maurice and Cohen went on to edge Wisconsin's Luke Rasow-Kantor and Chris Freeman, 9-8 (5) to move into the finals. Penn State buried Northwestern's Spencer Wolf and Sidarth Balaj, 8-6, to capture the team's second doubles crown on the day.
Welentz and Griffin picked up 8-5 victory over Purdue's Jan-Frans Englebrecht and Billy Heuer before facing a tough 8-5 setback to Iowa's Patrick Dwyer and Garrett Dunn.
The Nittany Lions finished the fall season with a combined record of 26-9 in doubles action. The 26 combined doubles victories is a program-best for a fall season. Singles action of the Big Ten Indoors will begin tomorrow and go through up until Monday.
Penn State will begin dual match play on Jan. 24 with a doubleheader matchup at home with Princeton and Lehigh.
"A" Flight Doubles
Round 1: Ryan Gormley/Warren Hardie (PSU) def. Santiago Gruter/Josh MacTaggart (Ind.), 8-5
Round 1: Eddie Bourchier/Jason Lee (PSU) def. John Stratton/Austin Brooks (MSU), 8-2
Round 2: Ryan Gormley/Warren Hardie (PSU) def. Andrew McCarthy/Eric Spector (N'Wstn.), 8-5
Round 2: Eddie Bourchier/Jason Lee (PSU) def. Alex Van Gils/Stephen Vogl (Ind.), 8-4
Semifinals: Ryan Gormley/Warren Hardie (PSU) def. Tommy McGeorge/Will Vasos (Iowa), 8-4
Semifinals: Eddie Bourchier/Jason Lee (PSU) def. Marek Czerwinski/AbeSouza (Ill.), 8-1
Finals: Eddie Bourchier/Jason Lee (PSU) def. Ryan Gormley/Warren Hardie (PSU), 9-8 (4)
"B" Flight Doubles
Round 1: Guillaume St-Maurice/Taylor Cohen (PSU) def. Slavko Bijelica/Matt Manasse (Pur.), 8-5
Round 1: Bryan Welnetz/C.J. Griffin (PSU) def. Jan-Frans Englebrecht/Billy Heuer (Pur.), 8-5
Round 2: Guillaume St-Maurice/Taylor Cohen (PSU) def. Mark Schanerman/Chris Jackman (N'wstn.), 8-3
Round 2: Patrick Dwyer/Garrett Dunn (Iowa) def. Bryan Welnetz/C.J. Griffin (PSU), 8-5
Semifinals: Guillaume St-Maurice/Taylor Cohen (PSU) def. Luke Rasow-Kantor/Chris Freeman (Wis.), 9-8 (5)
Finals: Guillaume St-Maurice/Taylor Cohen (PSU) def. Spencer Wolf and Sidarth Balaj (N'Wstn.), 8-6