The Georgetown Hoyas demonstrated improved play this weekend in their only match against BIG EAST foe Connecticut. The Hoyas fell 4-3, squandering a 2-0 lead they obtained early in the competition. Their 1999-2000 dual match record now stands at 2-7.
The match opened with the doubles competition and the Hoyas won the team point in exciting fashion. The Huskies gained the upper hand initially, however. The No. 3 doubles team of Dave Boyer (Sr., Winston-Salem, N.C./Forsyth Country Day) and Ken Jordan (So., Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) fell 8-3 to Pho Phimvongsa and Max Zubatsky. In response, the Hoya tandem of Nick Sklavounos (So., Waterford, Conn./Waterford) and Andre Benjamin (So., New York, N.Y./Fieldston) turned in a solid 8-3 victory at No. 2 doubles over Mike Furman and Luke Grimshaw. The deciding match on the court featured two Hoya freshmen competing in their first ever match against two of Connecticut's veteran players, Drew Broderick and Adam Sadowski. Hoyas Troy Crichlow (Wilton, Mass./Milton) and Marc Lohser (Woodbury, N.Y./Syosset) successful service holds ultimately led to a tiebreak at 8-8. The GU pair took the match over at that point and cruised to a 7-0 tiebreak victory, giving Georgeotown a 1-0 lead in the team score, as two of the three doubles match went to the Hoyas.
No. 6 singles started individual competition. In this match, the edge seemed to be to the Hoyas as their senior captain Beau Brewer (Little Rock, Ark./Little Rock Central) took on UConn freshman Joe Lang. Brewer's experience proved to be the difference as his clutch play propelled him to a 6-2, 7-5 victory and catapulted the Hoyas to a 2-0 lead.
Needing only four team points to capture the team victory, the Georgetown sent out Sklavounos at No. 1 singles, Benjamin at No. 2, Jordan at No. 3, and Crichlow at No. 4. Each battled valiantly, but no victories ensued and Connecticut had the necessary four team points and an important team victory. At No. 3 singles, Jordan lost 6-2, 6-1 to Grimshaw. At No. 2 singles, Benjamin held a first set lead of 5-3 but fell 7-5. He recovered to win the second set 6-4, but couldn't keep pace against Furman in the third set en route a 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 defeat. Benjamin performed remarkably on the day as he had missed the previous week's match against Maryland with an ankle sprain. Sklavounos had opportunities throughout his match but Broderick held firm and turned him away 6-2, 5-7, 6-0. Crichlow struggled to find ways to pressure Phimvongsa and lost 6-2, 6-4. The remaining singles match of Lohser against Uconn's Zubatsky was rendered moot, but Lohser responded to a first set loss and turned around his match to win 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(4).
Next up for the Hoyas is a match against the University of Louisiana Monroe to be played at the University of Miami in Coral Gable, FL on Monday March 6.
