Nicklas Heminger
Sports Editor
The Rhode Island College Anchormen Tennis team finished the regular season on a five match win streak, capped off by a recent win over Western Connecticut State. The Anchormen finished the regular season with a record of 8-4, and a Little East Conference record of 5-1.
The Anchormen entered their match on Wednesday against the Western Connecticut State Wolves, who entered with a record of 6-7, but 3-1 in LEC play.
Josh Brien and Jack Cadden opened up doubles play as the number one pair for the Anchormen. Brien and Cadden battled back and forth with the doubles from Western Connecticut State before dropping the tie-breaker set by a score of 7-4, and dropping the match 8-7.
Noah Morin and Elijah Gouin were the number two for the Anchormen in doubles play. Morin and Gouin made quick work of the West Connecticut State pair, defeating them by a final of 8-1. Zach Siemmao and Peter Pond rounded out doubles play, as the duo appeared as RIC’s third pairing. In a tighter match than the second, Pond and Siemmao successfully defeated the doubles from Western Connecticut by a score of 8-5.
The Anchormen held a 2-1 lead over the Wolves before moving into singles action where RIC took four of the six matches. Cadden won his match in two sets, taking set one 6-1 and set two 6-4. Gouin followed up with a victory of his own in singles action, taking set one 6-2 and set two 6-0. Siemmao picked up a victory in singles action as well, winning set one by a score of 6-0 and set two 6-3.
Andrew Fanning picked up the last victory for the Anchormen. Fanning dropped set one by a score of 6-4, before bouncing back and taking set two 7-5. In set three, Fanning was able to pull out an 11-9 victory to take the match.
The Anchormen defeated the Wolves overall by a final of 6-3.
This win secured RIC the number two seed in the LEC tournament and a first round bye. The Anchormen will face either Castleton or Western Connecticut State at RIC on April 27.