ROCHESTER, N.Y. (April 5, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's tennis team will open its Empire 8 Conference schedule this weekend with matches against St. John Fisher College (1-6) and Alfred University (3-5).

The Ducks are 4-5 this spring, with all five losses coming at the hands of national Top-23 competition, after defeating New York University in a 5-4 thriller on Wednesday.  The Violets had entered the match ranked No. 13 in the Northeast region, just one spot ahead of the Ducks.  Stevens led 2-1 after taking second and third doubles and picked up wins at first, second and fourth singles to clinch the victory, capped by freshman Matthew Heinrich (Hendersonville, Tenn.) outlasting senior Harveer Bhalla in a marathon three-set match (7-6 [4], 3-6, 6-3) at second singles.

St. John Fisher has lost five straight matches, most recently falling at the Rochester Institute of Technology, 7-2, just over a week ago, with the Cardinals picking up straight-set wins at third and fifth singles.  Senior Greg Duffy (Macedon, N.Y.) is just 1-5 at first singles while senior Daniel Parshall (East Rochester, N.Y.) has posted a 2-4 record at second singles.  Senior Bryan Hanley (Canandaigua, N.Y.) is 3-1 at fourth singles and has also gotten a win in his only match at third singles while junior Sheldon Mitchell (Rochester, N.Y.) and freshman Nathaniel Ligon (Gloversville, N.Y.) are both 4-0 at fifth and sixth singles, respectively, with each also posting a win in their only higher-court match of the spring.  The Cardinals have won only two doubles matches all season, one each at second and third doubles. 

Alfred is in a three-game skid of its own, most recently losing 6-3 to Heidelburg University way back on March 13 to cap a three-game spring trip to Hilton Head, S.C.  The Saxons did all their damage in the singles matches, earning victories at first, fourth and fifth singles.  Freshman Connor Doud (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) has played to a 4-4 record at first singles this season while no other player has posted even a .500 record at his primary court.  Doud and junior Peter Benoit (Gasport, N.Y.) have managed a 3-5 record at first doubles, with multiple pairings combining to go 4-4 at both second and third doubles.

The Ducks have impressed all spring, especially considering the level of competition they have faced.  Senior Chris Rosensteel (East Windsor, N.J.) fronts the squad at first singles, where he has posted a 5-4 record to be ranked the No. 8 singles player in the Northeast region.  Heinrich, ranked No. 19 in the Northeast, has recorded an incredible 7-2 record at second singles while fellow rookie Ben Foran (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) has gone 3-5 at third singles with a win in his only match at #4.  Senior Shota Tasaki (Greenwich, Conn.) is 2-5 at fourth singles while freshman Tyler Tisdale (Grapevine, Texas) is 2-6 at fifth singles and junior Derek Smith (Boise, Idaho) is 0-4 at sixth singles (although both picked up wins in their only higher-court placements of the spring).

Rosensteel and Heinrich form the No. 7 doubles team in the Northeast and have played to a 7-2 record.  Foran and Tasaki have been potent at second doubles as well, going 6-3, while Smith and Tisdale are 2-1 at third doubles.  

Rosensteel just moved into sole possession of the program record for combined career singles and doubles wins (135) on Wednesday and is also just one shy of tying both the singles (70) and doubles (67) marks individually.  Tasaki has also moved up in the record books, now ranking sixth in singles wins (50) and fourth in doubles (64).
 
Assistant Coach Arik Zeevy and the Ducks will take the court against St. John Fisher at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, April 6 before facing Alfred later in the day at 2:30 p.m.