Golden Bears Take Flight Over Salve Regina Seahawks in CCC Match Play, 9-0

LONGMEADOW, Mass.--Not even Mother Nature could put a damper on another home win for the Western New England University men's tennis team.

Four Golden Bears each won two matches to power Western New England to a 9-0 victory Tuesday evening over visiting Salve Regina University in a Commonwealth Coast Conference match at the Grande Meadows Tennis & Health Club. The Golden Bears have won two in a row to improve to 8-6 overall, surpassing last season's win total when WNE finished 7-10, and 4-2 in the CCC, while the Seahawks remain winless at 0-10 and 0-7. Western New England has won five of seven starts at home in 2013-14.

Sophomores Andres Otero and Alexander Sause took victories at No. 1 and 2 singles in straight sets, and then teamed up at No. 1 doubles for an easy 8-1 win over Colin Gunning and Khoa Nguyen. Otero defeated Colin Gunning at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-1, and Sause clipped Nguyen at No. 2, 6-4, 6-1.

No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles competitor junior Peter LeFrancois handled Monaf Awwa 6-2, 6-1 and Awwa/Matthew Carroll, 8-1, alongside classmate PJ Nassar, respectively.

Junior John Mindek was victorious at No. 6 singles against Ned Richard, 6-0, 6-1, and No. 3 doubles with classmate Greg Tischofer versus C.J. Maksut, 8-0.

The Golden Bears rounded out wins at Nos. 4 and 5 singles by senior Tyler Unwin and sophomore Adam Zimmerman.

In anticipation of heavy rain in Springfield all day, Western New England Athletics officials moved to the makeshift site from the team's customary Volvo Outdoor Courts facility on-campus to indoors here.

Western New England will travel to Quincy on Thursday to take on CCC opponent Eastern Nazarene College, starting at 3:30 p.m.

Singles competition

1. Andres Otero (WNE-M) def. Colin Gunning (SRU) 6-2, 6-1

2. Alexander Sause (WNE-M) def. Khoa Nguyen (SRU) 6-4, 6-1

3. Peter LeFrancois (WNE-M) def. Monaf Awwa (SRU) 6-2, 6-1

4. Tyler Unwin (WNE-M) def. Matthew Carroll (SRU) 6-0, 6-3

5. Adam Zimmerman (WNE-M) def. C.J. Maksut (SRU) 6-4, 4-6, 10-7

6. John Mindek (WNE-M) def. Ned Richard (SRU) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. Andres Otero/Alexander Sause (WNE-M) def. Colin Gunning/Khoa Nguyen (SRU) 8-1

2. Peter LeFrancois/PJ Nassar (WNE-M) def. Monaf Awwa/Matthew Carroll (SRU) 8-1

3. John Mindek/GregTischofer (WNE-M) def. Ned Richard/C.J. Maksut (SRU) 8-0

Match Notes