FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The schedule will show two losses for the Goshen College women's tennis team on Saturday, but the story will center on what might have been as the Maple Leafs took a 3-2 lead on the University of Saint Francis before falling 4-3 in that match and 7-0 to Indiana Wesleyan University in the nightcap of a Crossroads League triangular at Swinney Park.

The Maple Leafs (0-2, 0-2), who were dealt an unpleasant hand this week by starting the season with only five available players, overcame that deficit to win both doubles matches 7-5 over Saint Francis to claim the doubles point in that match.

The Cougars (1-1, 1-1) got their first point back due to Goshen's default at no. 6 singles. At no. 5 singles, a match that was able to start during the doubles segment because each player would have been involved in the no. 3 doubles match, USF's Sophia Vandegriff split the first two sets with GC's Naomi Lapp Klassen to send the match to a tiebreaker. Vandegriff won that 10-4 to put the Cougars up 2-1 with four matches left.

On the top line, Goshen's Meaghan Godzisz cruised to perhaps the most straightforward victory of the match, a 6-1, 6-2 victory to level the team score at 2. Sarah Hinshaw followed her off the court with a second-set tiebreak victory to win the match at no. 2 singles, which left the Leafs leading 3-2 and needing one of the other two matches to start the season with a win.

In those remaining two matches, the first set had been mixed: Hannah McCoy won the first set at no. 3 in a tiebreak while Anna Osborne lost her opener 6-4 at no. 2.

Osborne won the first five games of the second set, leaving her a game away from forcing a tiebreaker, but USF freshman Alyssa Ciocca came back to win seven straight games and level the match. Still, the Maple Leafs were up a set at no. 3 singles, or they were until Regina Faber came back to win the second set 6-2.

That left the match riding on a third set at no. 3. Per Crossroads League policy, because the teams are playing two matches in a day, the third set is a race to 10 points rather than the conventional six games. And at the end of the first six games, McCoy looked to be in good shape with an 8-2 lead. But Faber answered that in the next six points, tying the score at 10 and then 11 before winning 13-11.

That left Goshen with little time to regroup before facing off with Indiana Wesleyan, the fourth-ranked team in the nation and winner of 28 of the last 29 conference championships. To make matters worse, the mercury was rising — 93 degrees on the heat index — and GC would be playing its second match of the day while IWU played its first.

The Wildcats swept through the two contested doubles matches without dropping a game. In singles, while Goshen fell behind 2-0 thanks to its default at no. 6, Godzisz and McCoy each picked up a game.

Emily Connolly and Ashlee Fisk were an unblemished 18-0 in games played for the Wildcats (4-0, 2-0).

IWU swept Saint Francis 7-0 in the final match of the triangular.

Goshen returns to action in a pair of non-conference matchups this week, hosting Indiana Tech at 1 p.m. Wednesday and traveling to meet Holy Cross at 4 p.m. Friday.

Full Results – Match 1: Saint Francis 4, Goshen 3

Singles
1. Meaghan Godzisz (GC) def. Sarah Liter 6-1, 6-2
2. Sarah Hinshaw (GC) def. Jessica Henline 6-3, 7-6(5)
3. Regina Faber (USF) def. Hannah McCoy 6-7(2), 6-2, (13-11)
4. Alyssa Ciocca (USF) def. Anna Osborne 6-2, 7-5
5. Sophia Vandegriff (USF) def. Naomi Lapp Klassen 6-4, 4-6, (10-4)
6. USF by default

Doubles – Goshen wins team point 2-1
1. Hinshaw/McCoy (GC) def. Faber/Liter 7-5
2. Godzisz/Osborne (GC) def. Gabby Buday/Ciocca 7-5
3. USF by default

Full Results – Match 2: #4 Indiana Wesleyan 7, Goshen 0

Singles
1. Maddie Bemisderfer def. Godzisz 6-1, 6-0
2. Ashlee Fisk def. Hinshaw 6-0, 6-0
3. Aynara Ferraz def. McCoy 6-1, 6-0
4. Emily Connolly def. Osborne 6-0, 6-0
5. Allie Schellenberg def. Lapp Klassen 6-0, 6-0
6. IWU by default

Doubles – IWU wins team point 3-0
1. Bemisderfer/Ferraz def. Hinshaw/McCoy 6-0
2. Connolly/Fisk def. Godzisz/Osborne 6-0
3. IWU by default