Rochester, N.Y. – The Ithaca men's tennis team (17-4) won the Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship with a 5-3 victory over Stevens Institute of Technology (14-5) Saturday at the Rochester Institute of Technology. It is Ithaca's fifth Empire 8 title and third in the last four years. The Bombers have qualified for the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship and will find out their opponent and location for their regional when the tournament field is announced Monday.

The Bombers led 2-1 after doubles play due to an important victory at second doubles by freshman Jimmy Newton (Florida Virtual School/Englewood, Fla.) and junior Danny Wolk (The Field School/Potomac, Md.). Newton and Wolk trailed 8-7 and faced two match points against, but rallied to win that game and then won the tiebreak 7-2. Junior Taylor Borda (West Morris-Mendham/Chester, N.J.) and sophomore Josh Rifkin (Homestead/Ft. Wayne, Ind.) were 8-2 winners at first doubles.

The Bombers lost the first singles match to finish and the team score was tied 2-2, but Rifkin won at second singles by a score of 6-2, 6-2 to put Ithaca back in front. Freshman Dan Levine (Monroe-Woodbury/Highland Mills) was a 6-0, 6-3 winner at sixth singles to give Ithaca its fourth match win of the dual.

A win for Stevens at fourth singles made it 4-3, but Ithaca's Newton rallied from two match points against at third singles to force a third set in his match. Meanwhile, Borda earned the clinching point for the Bombers at first singles with a three-set win. Borda defeated Stevens' Arik Zeevy 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Newton's match was not completed after Ithaca clinched the victory with Borda's win.

Tennis Match Results
Stevens vs Ithaca
05/30/09 at Rochester, N.Y.

Ithaca 5, Stevens 3

Singles competition
1. Taylor BORDA (IC) def. Arik Zeevy (SIT) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
2. Josh RIFKIN (IC) def. Jason Ringstad (SIT) 6-2, 6-2
3. Piotr Rusinkiewicz (SIT) led Jimmy NEWTON (IC) 7-5, 6-7 (1-7), 4-2
4. Jay Lee (SIT) def. Daniel WOLK (IC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
5. Kobe Attias (SIT) def. Mike MURACO (IC) 6-2, 6-4
6. Dan LEVINE (IC) def. Carlo Pardo (SIT) 6-0, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Taylor BORDA/Josh RIFKIN (IC) def. Jason Ringstad/Arik Zeevy (SIT) 8-2
2. Jimmy NEWTON/Daniel WOLK (IC) def. Kobe Attias/Piotr Rusinkiewicz (SIT) 9-8 (7-2)
3. Gregory Klose/Jay Lee (SIT) def. Andrew DUNNICK/Mike MURACO (IC) 8-2

Team Records:
Stevens 14-5
Ithaca 17-4

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,2,6,1)

Empire 8 Championship
Ithaca earns automatic berth in NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship
Fifth conference title in program history; third in last four years.