GOSHEN, Ind. — Danny Boussom and Martim Cafe paired up to break a 1-1 tie in the last doubles match off the court and each claimed straight-set singles victories to seal the win Saturday as Goshen College knocked off Spring Arbor University 6-3 in men's tennis action at the John Ingold Athletic Complex.
The Maple Leafs (6-1, 5-1) took an early lead with the first match off the courts, a doubles victory put forth by Josh Friesen and Luke Rush at the no. 3 spot. Spring Arbor countered with a late service break for an 8-6 win at no. 2 doubles, but Goshen returned the favor even later as Cafe and Boussom emerged 9-7 on the top line of the depth chart.
Goshen dropped six games or less in each of the top three singles matches, which finished in numerical order with Boussom, Juan Miguel Ciudad and Cafe wrapping up their days on court by about 2:15 p.m.
Cafe's win clinched the team victory, leaving the Maple Leafs two games clear of the fourth-place Cougars in the loss column. GC sits third in conference play at the moment, thanks to a rainout two weeks ago: Marian is 6-1 and Indiana Wesleyan 7-0.
The Cougars (4-3, 4-3) claimed the next two matches off the court, although only after Sharma split sets at no. 5 singles and forced the match into a tiebreak. Evan Beck added Goshen's last point with a three-set win at no. 6.
Quotable:
Goshen director of tennis Evan Atkinson:
"Doubles has really given us a lift lately, and today's 2-1 lead was no different. Josh and Luke have really been taking care of their business in dominant fashion and Danny and Martim are staying hot after their ITA run.
"I was proud of our overall effort on court today and was happy to pull through with a win. Juan Ciudad has a style of play that wears on opponents physically and mentally and he was solid all day. Evan Beck has won two super tiebreaks in a row and is playing with a winning mentality. Spring Arbor is a very talented and athletic team and I'm happy our guys are playing with confidence down the stretch of our season.
"We are looking forward to heading to Taylor on Tuesday and continuing our strong play."
Results:
Singles:
1. Danny Boussom (GC) def. Nick Romano 7-5, 6-0
2. Juan Miguel Ciudad (GC) def. Alex Reinbold 6-2, 6-4
3. Martim Cafe (GC) def. Ryan MacLean 6-2, 6-3
4. Jonah Engle (SAU) def. Kartikeya Sharma 6-3, 3-6, (10-7)
5. Patrick Doerr (SAU) def. Josh Friesen 6-4, 6-4
6. Evan Beck (GC) def. Connor Mogle 1-6, 6-2, (10-5)
Doubles:
1. Boussom/Cafe (GC) def. Engle/Romano 9-7
2. MacLean/Reinbold (SAU) def. Ciudad/Sharma 8-6
3. Friesen/Luke Rush (GC) def. Mogle/Josh Scott 8-2
Up Next: Tuesday, Sept. 25 — Goshen at Taylor, 4 p.m.
