When the NESCAC men's tennis tournament kicks off today at Amherst, five of the six competing teams will have their sights set on one dominant squad: Middlebury.
The Panthers have captured the last three NESCAC championships and enter this year's tourney as the undisputed top seed. Joining Middlebury are Bowdoin, Williams, Trinity, Amherst and Colby, seeded second through sixth, respectively.
The Jumbos will sit out for their second-straight postseason, having narrowly missed earning a bid to this year's tournament. A tough 9-0 rout at the hands of Amherst Sunday likely cost Tufts its chance to compete. The loss left the Jumbos on the outside looking in with a 2-3 NESCAC record, which the selection committee deemed inadequate.
Today's tennis features Trinity and Amherst battling it out for the right to take on Middlebury in the NESCAC semifinals tomorrow. The Bantams notched a 6-3 win over the Lord Jeffs April 10 during the teams' sole meeting this season, which also took place at Amherst. Trinity finished its season 6-5 overall and 3-2 in the NESCAC, while Amherst went 12-4, with a 3-2 clip in conference play.
Middlebury has remained a juggernaut in the NESCAC for the last five seasons. The Panthers went 5-0 in the conference this year, buttressing their 16-1 overall record and maintaining their streak of 39-straight NESCAC regular season victories, dating back to April 2002. The Panthers took out both the Lord Jeffs and Bantams earlier this week, beating Amherst, 6-3, on Saturday and following up with a 7-2 victory over Trinity on Sunday.
Colby and Williams will follow Trinity-Amherst, competing against one another for the first time this season, with the winner taking the court against Bowdoin tomorrow. The Mules finished the season 7-5 overall (3-2 NESCAC) while the Ephs ended 10-5 overall (4-1 NESCAC).
Bowdoin finished the season a solid 15-3 overall with a 4-1 NESCAC record. The Polar Bears knocked off both of their potential semifinal opponents on the road earlier this season, downing Colby, 6-3, on April 18 and edging Williams 5-4 on Saturday.
The winners of Saturday's semifinal bouts will play on Sunday for the 2007 NESCAC men's tennis crown.
-by Thomas Eager
