By: Shawn Patrickson
Anchor Columnist
The Rhode Island College men’s ten- nis team hasn’t quite found their stoke yet. Going into the week winless the team fell on the road to Suffolk University be- fore rallying together to take down Curry College. The dominant 9-0 win over the Colonials marks the Anchormen’s first win since winning over Salem State in the quarter finals of last year’s Little East Conference tournament. The victory pushed the Anchormen to 1-7 on the year before opening LEC play with a 1-8 loss to the Bears or Bridgewater State.
Curry is typically a dominant team in the North East region for men’s tennis but currently also in a rebuilding year, similar to the Anchormen. RIC wasted no time in exposing the weaknesses as they dominated from the opening serves sweeping all doubles for the first time this season. Sophomore captain Alex Werchadlo kept the roll going as he domi- nated his singles 6-0, 6-2. Werchadlo’s match finished just in time to join the cheering section for senior Jason Morin who battled his way through a first set tie breaker before his opponent caved in and gave up the second set 6-1
The rest of the singles players would
follow suite and the Anchormen finished the run around win over the Colonials. The win marks the first win on the year but it is also the third straight season that the Anchormen have bested the Colonials.
Looking to continue their winning ways in their Little East opener proved to be a little more difficult as the Anchormen came out flat footed and were easy prey for the Bears. The Bears took a page out of the Anchormen’s book as they dominated the doubles wins and then proceeded to clean house with the singles matches.
Werchadlo was the only Anchorman able to stop the bleeding as he battled BSC junior Wesley Esthimer though a grueling three set match coming out victorious in the tiebreak for the third set. Werchadlo lost the first set in a tiebreak but rather than breaking down, battled back, took the second set 6-3 before unleasing a few powerful forehand winners to claim the third set.
The up and down week drops the Anchormen to 1-8 on the season as they turn their attentions to hosting Gordon College for a non-conference match on Thursday before returning to Little East action against rival UMass Boston at home on Saturday, April 14.
