BOX SCORE
When and Where: April 12, 2017 – Middleton, Mass. (Northeast Tennis Center)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 5, Merrimack College 2
Records: SNHU 13-6 (8-0 NE10), Merrimack 7-8 (5-2 NE10)
Junior Xavier Aubron (Herouville, France) produced an epic comeback at No. 4 singles to help the Southern New Hampshire University men's tennis team capture its second straight Northeast-10 Regular-Season Championship as it toppled Merrimack College, 5-2, Wednesday afternoon at the Northeast Tennis Center.
Aubron lost the first set at No. 4 singles to Alex Fedorov, 1-6, and found himself trailing, 2-5, in the second set, when he reeled off five straight points to even the match with a 7-5 win. Aubron then seized all the momentum and posted a 6-1 win in the third set to earn a crucial point for the Penmen.
Juniors Tiago Fernandes (Porto, Portugal) and Ricardo Marreiros (Portimao, Portugal) edged out Mikhail Belov and Nick Majewski, 9-7, at No. 1 doubles, while Aubron and fellow junior Miguel Marreiros (Portimao, Portugal) recorded an 8-6 win at No. 2 doubles against Frank Vega and Fedorov to bring a 2-1 lead into singles play.
Fernandes cruised to victory against Vega, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 1 singles, with Ricardo Marreiros defeating Belov, 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2 singles to push Merrimack to the verge.
Aubron then came up with his huge rally to clinch the match and the NE10 Regular-Season title.
Notes:
-The Penmen have now won seven-in-a-row and extend their NE10 winning streak to 18 straight, dating back to Oct. 15, 2015.
-SNHU claims its second NE10 Regular-Season Championship and can earn its second consecutive undefeated conference record with a win against Bentley University in the regular-season finale.
-Southern New Hampshire will be the No. 1 seed and have a bye into the semifinal round of the NE10 Championship, which begins Tuesday, April 18.
-SNHU is ranked fourth in the Oracle/ITA East Regional Rankings, while Merrimack is seventh.
Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Friday, April 14 (3 p.m.) when they wrap up the regular season by playing host to Bentley University.
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