By: Shawn Patrickson
Anchor Contributor
Despite getting great production from team captain, sophomore Alex Werchadlo, the Rhode Island College men’s tennis team can’t find their stroke as they continue to slide down a rough path. The Anchormen failed to beat cross-town rival Johnson and Wales University and Little East Conference foe UMass Boston both for the first time in three years.
The Anchormen got into a tough battle at home in the week’s first match against the Wildcats. RIC came out swinging hard and took two of the first three doubles matches to take the early lead but the Wildcats clawed back taking wins at four singles slots to claim the 5-4 comeback win. Werchadlo led the way by helping win his number one doubles match and also took the number one singles match 6-1, 6-0. Senior Jason Morin won at the number three singles spot with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 for the Anchormen’s lone singles points as the team fell one short of the victory.
The Anchoren’s struggles continued in Saturday’s Little East Conference match as the Anchormen hosted the Beacons from UMass Boston. RIC struggled from the start as the Beacons showed little regard for the rebuilding Anchormen sweeping the doubles competition to get an early jump on the match. Werchadlo again was a lone bright spot as he won his match at one singles for the second time on the week.
Werchadlo wasn’t alone as junior Matt Collins also added a win at six singles despite losing the first set 1-6. Morin almost pulled out a comeback upset at the three spot but failed to complete the comeback losing in the third set.
Rhode Island College fell to 1-9 on the year with the losses and will face a tough set of opponents when they host UMass Dartmouth and travel to Salem State this week for a pair of huge Little East Conference matches.
