INDIANAPOLIS — The Cinderella hopes of the Goshen College men's tennis team struck midnight on Tuesday as third-seeded Marian University bounced the sixth-seeded Maple Leafs from the Crossroads League tournament with a 6-1 defeat at the MU tennis courts.
 
Javier Gallego Murcia got the Maple Leaf victory at no. 1 singles, topping Camilo Mesa by a 6-1, 6-4 margin to run his season record to 6-3.
 
By the time that match finished, though, the team match had been decided, with Marian improving to 7-2 by winning all eight other matches. The Maple Leaf lineup was depleted to 5 athletes by a rash of injuries, forcing GC (3-7) to default at no. 3 doubles and no. 6 singles.
 
Byeong Min Lim made his doubles debut at no. 2 singles, pairing with Wesley Beck to fall 6-3 to Greg Fulling and Armando Lopez, while Dan Boussom slid up to no. 1 in place of Josh Friesen alongside Gallego Murcia.
 
In singles action, Marian dropped a total of five games in the lower three singles matches. Boussom pushed his first set to 7-5 against Hunter Sylvester, giving the Maple Leafs their best shot at a singles win, before his Knight counterpart ripped off six straight games to win the match.
 
Marian advances to play second-seeded Grace in the semifinal of the Crossroads League tournament on Thursday while top seed Indiana Wesleyan meets fourth seed Huntington on the other side of the draw.
 
Goshen is idle until a non-conference match with Indiana Tech on Monday, which is slated to begin at 4 p.m. at Swinney Park in Fort Wayne. That leads into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's individual regional tournament beginning Thursday at Indiana Wesleyan University.
 
Full Results: Marian 6, Goshen 1

Singles
1. Javier Gallego Murcia (GOC) def. Camilo Mesa (MU) 6-1, 6-4
2. Hunter Sylvester (MU) def. Dan Boussom (GOC) 7-5, 6-0
3. Mark Griffin (MU) def. Wesley Beck (GOC) 6-1, 6-1
4. Dmitrii Voshchenkov (MU) def. Byeong Min Lim (GOC) 6-0, 6-3
5. Diogo Jesus (MU) def. Diego Torres (GOC) 6-0, 6-0
6. MU by default

Doubles
1. Mark Griffin/Diogo Jesus (MU) def. Dan Boussom/Javier Gallego Murcia (GOC) 6-4
2. Greg Fulling/Armando Lopez (MU) def. Wesley Beck/Byeong Min Lim (GOC) 6-3
3. MU by default