Men's Tennis | 5/8/2016 4:04:00 PM

EDGEWATER, N.J. —Junior Nate Wolf and freshman Michael Gardiner earned a thrilling win at third doubles, but the Ithaca College men's tennis team fell to nationally-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology 5-1 Sunday afternoon in the Empire 8 championship.
 
Ithaca (13-6) was making its 14th straight appearance in the conference championship. Wolf and Gardiner posted a 9-8 win (7-5 in the tiebreaker) at third doubles, but No. 21 Stevens (18-7) won two of three doubles matches and won three singles matches to clinch its seventh straight Empire 8 title.
 
The Bombers, the No. 2 seed for the tournament, saw their nine-match winning streak snapped against the Ducks, who haven't lost to a conference opponent since a 5-4 loss to Ithaca April 10, 2010, a stretch of 50 consecutive matches.
 
In other action from the championship match, held at the Binghamton Racquet Club in Edgewater, N.J., senior Chris Hayes and junior Wes Davis fell 8-3 at first doubles, and sophomore Lorenzo Viguie-Ramos and freshman Stefan Lazarevic dropped an 8-3 decision at second doubles.
 
In singles play, Gardiner dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision at first singles, Wolf dropped a 6-2, 6-0 decision at the fourth flight, and Viguie-Ramos fell 6-2, 6-0 at the sixth flight. The remainder of the singles matches were left unfinished once Stevens clinched the championship.
 
Hayes caps his illustrious IC career ranking third in career singles wins (61) and sixth in all-time wins (108).
 
Results vs. #21 Stevens (Stevens won 5-1)

Singles competition

1. Matthew Heinrich (STEVENS) def. Michael Gardiner (ITHACA) 6-2, 6-1

2. Danny Polk (STEVENS) vs. Chris Hayes (ITHACA) 6-0, 5-2, unfinished

3. Charles Drake (STEVENS) vs. Wes Davis (ITHACA) 6-6, unfinished

4. Ben Foran (STEVENS) def. Nate Wolf (ITHACA) 6-2, 6-0

5. Kyle Henry (STEVENS) vs. Brandon Buksbaum (ITHACA) 6-0, 5-1, unfinished

6. David Schulz (STEVENS) def. Lorenzo Viguie-Ramos (ITHACA) 6-2, 6-0

Doubles competition

1. Matthew Heinrich/Ben Foran (STEVENS) def. Chris Hayes/Wes Davis (ITHACA) 8-3

2. Kyle Henry/Kyle Cenderelli (STEVENS) def. Lorenzo Viguie-Ramos/Stefan Lazarevic (ITHACA) 8-3

3. Michael Gardiner/Nate Wolf (ITHACA) def. Jacob Thigpen/Divin Sarthak (STEVENS) 9-8 (7-5)

Match Notes

Ithaca College 13-6

Stevens 18-7; National ranking #21; Regional ranking #8

Empire 8 Conference Championship Final