ELON, N.C. – Elon captured all six singles matches and two of the three doubles flights on its way to its eighth consecutive victory – a 7-0 non-league men’s tennis triumph over Longwood in its regular-season finale Friday afternoon at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
The seniorless Phoenix (18-4) finished 12-0 in home matches while fashioning the program’s longest winning streak since the 1997 Elon squad won eight in a row en route to posting a 16-9 record, claiming the South Atlantic Conference crown and making a trip to the NCAA-II Tournament.
The Phoenix, 5-17 overall and 0-10 in the Southern Conference last season, has now won 18 of its last 20 contests. The 18 victories mark the program’s most since Elon logged a 21-6 record on its way to claiming the South Atlantic Conference title and a berth in the NCAA-II Tournament in 1996.
Elon will enter next week’s Southern Conference tournament action as the No. 1 seed. The Phoenix (8-1 SoCon) concluded the 2006 regular season as the SoCon co-champion with Furman (17-10 overall, 8-1 SoCon), but wins the tiebreaker due to the 5-2 Elon victory over the Paladins on April 2 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
Against Longwood (7-10), the Phoenix posted the doubles point via victories by Damon Gooch and Austin Fenn at No. 1 (over Brandon Lindsley and Carlos Garcia de Andoain 8-4) and Sebastian Bredberg and Kevin Colin at No. 2 (over Jon Bair and Rashko Patnikov 8-2). The Lancers picked up a win at No. 3 where Ian Young and Mani Barajas-Alexander slipped past Gustaf Asplund and Kyle Smialek 9-8 (9).
In singles play, No. 120 Gooch dispatched Garcia de Andoain 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1, Bredberg rallied past Patnikov 6-7 (6), 6-4 (10-2) at No. 2, Asplund topped Barajas-Alexander 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3, Fenn finished off Roger Torres 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4, Colin conquered Bair 6-4, 6-1 at No. 5 and Kevin Beard bested Austin Brawley 6-2, 6-3 at No. 6.
Gooch (16-5), Bredberg (17-4), Asplund (15-5), Fenn (13-8), Colin (12-6) and Beard (6-5) have amassed a combined 79-33 (.705) singles slate. The Lancers will wrap up their season with a visit to George Mason at 1 p.m. Saturday.
– ELON – Match Box Score
