West Windsor, N.J. - The Ithaca men's tennis team (16-3) fell behind by three after the completion of doubles matches and Stevens Institute of Technology (18-3) went on to a 5-2 victory in the championship match of the Empire 8 Men's Tennis Tournament Sunday afternoon.

Ithaca, ranked 11th in the Northeast Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and NCAA Regional Rankings finished its season with 16 wins, the second-most in school history. Stevens is ranked 12th in the region.

Ithaca's singles victories came from junior Josh Rifkin (Homestead/Fort Wayne, Ind.) -- a 6-2, 6-4 winner at first singles -- and junior Dan Adelman (Pomfret School/Hampton, Conn.), who won 6-4, 6-3 at sixth singles.

Tennis Match Results
Ithaca vs Stevens
05/09/10 at West Windsor, N.J.

Stevens 5, Ithaca 2

Singles competition
1. Josh Rifkin (IC) def. Shota Tasaki (SIT) 6-2, 6-4
2. Chris Rosensteel (SIT) vs. Taylor Borda (IC) 6-7 (6-8), 5-4, unfinished
3. Arik Zeevy (SIT) def. Jimmy Newton (IC) 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
4. Jason Ringstad (SIT) def. Danny Wolk (IC) 6-4, 6-4
5. Piotr Rusinkiewicz (SIT) vs. John Berggrun (IC) 6-0, 5-7, 2-4, unfinished
6. Dan Adelman (IC) def. Gregory Klose (SIT) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Arik Zeevy/Shota Tasaki (SIT) def. Josh Rifkin/Taylor Borda (IC) 8-6
2. Chris Rosensteel/Piotr Rusinkiewicz (SIT) def. Jimmy Newton/Danny Wolk (IC) 8-5
3. Jason Ringstad/Gregory Klose (SIT) def. John Berggrun/Dan Adelman (IC) 8-5

Team Records:
Ithaca 16-3; Regional ranking #11
Stevens 18-3; Regional ranking #12

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,1,4,3)

2010 Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship