Score: Nazareth College 6, Elmira College 3
Records: Nazareth (3-10, 3-2 E8), Elmira (2-5, 2-2 E8)
Location: Mendon Racquet Club – Rochester, N.Y.
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Wins in the top half of the lineup was not enough to secure a win this afternoon, as the Elmira College men's tennis team dropped a heartbreaking 6-3 decision on the road to Nazareth College.
 
Nazareth capitalized on its strong play in doubles to take an early 2-1 lead in today's contest, as the Golden Flyers captured 8-3 and 8-1 wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, respectively. Elmira's top doubles tandem of Patrick Tracey '18 and Stephen Gervase '20 made routine work of their counterparts from Nazareth, blanking the Golden Flyer duo, 8-0.
 
The early deficit did little to shake the confidence of the Elmira men, as Gervase and Tracey opened the single portion of the match with straight-set wins. Gervase was a 6-3, 6-2 winner at No. 3, while Tracey downed Nazareth's Ryley Amond, 6-4, 6-2. The two wins put the Purple and Gold out in front, 3-2.
 
Jordan Curtis '19 nearly made it a 4-2 Elmira lead, as he claimed in the opening set against Kellen Boyles, 6-2. Curtis came up just short in the second set, falling by just a single break of serve, 6-4, before Boyles completed the comeback in the third set for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory.
 
A win at No. 5 by Nazareth made it a 4-3 Golden Flyer lead, placing all eyes on the match at the No. 2 spot, which featured EC's Yaniv Kogan '18 and Nazareth's Tyler Luong. Luong edged Kogan in the opening set, 7-5, but Kogan rallied in the second set and produced a dominant 6-1 win to force a third set. The teeter-totter match continued in the third set, but Luong would eventually march away victorious by a single break of serve, 6-4.
 
The win by Luong was paired with a win by Naz's Andy Lee at the sixth spot, which solidified a 6-3 Golden Flyer win.
 
Scores
Singles
1. Patrick Tracey (ELMIRA) def. Ryley Amond (NAZARETH) 6-4, 6-2
2. Tyler Luong (NAZARETH) def. Yaniv Kogan (ELMIRA) 7-5, 1-6, 6-4
3. Stephen Gervase (ELMIRA) def. Jonathan Scudder (NAZARETH) 6-3, 6-2
4. Kellen Boyles (NAZARETH) def. Jordan Curtis (ELMIRA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
5. Patrick Dowdle (NAZARETH) def. Zackarie Stedge (ELMIRA) 6-1, 6-1
6. Andy Lee (NAZARETH) def. Ravi Chauma (ELMIRA) 6-0, 6-1
 
Doubles
1. Gervase/Tracey (ELMIRA) def. Lee/Rogers (NAZARETH) 8-0
2. Amond/Jcudder (NAZARETH) def. Curtis/Kogan (ELMIRA) 8-3
3. Dowdle/Luong (NAZARETH) def. Endieveri/Stedge (ELMIRA) 8-1
 
News and Notes

• Tracey moved into sole possession of second place in EC history for career singles wins (36).
• Tracey also moved into third place in EC history for total career wins (59).
• Gervase has won four consecutive singles matches and improved to 5-2 on the year.
• Tracey continued his flawless start to the 2018 campaign, improving his singles record to 7-0.
• Gervase and Tracey are now 4-3 on the year at the No. 1 doubles spot.

 
Up Next
Elmira is back in action this Friday, April 20, when the Soaring Eagles travel to battle the Saxons of Alfred University in Empire 8 Conference play. The opening serve is set for 4:00 p.m. in Alfred, New York.