FIGHTING TIGER MEN’S TENNIS TAMES ACC TIMBERWOLVES 5-4

The SUNY Cobleskill men’s tennis team took to the road on Thursday afternoon traveling to Glens Falls, NY, to face Mountain Valley Conference rival Adirondack Community College in the both team’s conference and regular season finale. After three and a half hours it was the visiting Fighting Tigers posting a hard fought 5-4 victory over the host Timberwolves. The win gives Cobleskill a 6-3 overall record on the year and puts them in sole possession of second place in the league standings with a 3-1 mark. The win also gives the Orange & Black a bid to the 2008 NJCAA Region III Division III Championship Tournament to be hosted by Adirondack Community College at the Timberwolves campus courts on Saturday May 3rd and Sunday May 4th in Glens Falls, NY beginning each day at 9:00 AM.

The Fighting Tigers battled with the upstart Timberwolves throughout the afternoon splitting singles play with three wins a pieces as senior Greg Klopfer, Voorheesville, NY, Voorheesville High School, completed his perfect regular season at the number three singles spot , 9-0 overall, by winning in straight sets by scores of 6-3 and 7-5, freshman number four singles Zak Kraehmer, Wallkill, NY, Wallkill High School, took his match by scores of 6-2 and 6-4 and senior Andy Crane, Exeter, ME, Dexter Regional High School, out battled his opponent at the number five singles spot by scores of 6-2, 3-6 and 7-5.

After the Cobleskill number one doubles team of senior John Hazelton, Greenville, NY, Greenville High School, and freshman Jeremy McMichael, Binghamton, NY, Susquehanna High School, won a heated match in three sets by scores of 6-2, 5-7 and 6-3, the Fighting Tigers put the day’s proceedings in the win column as the number two doubles team of Greg Klopfer and Zak Kraehmer pushed their season record to a perfect 9-0 on the year winning decisively by scores of 6-2 and 6-4.

“This was an important victory for us today in terms of establishing some momentum heading into the regional tournament,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Scott Hill. “As usual Greg Klopfer and Zak Kraehmer were our backbone; but today I am extremely proud of the way John Hazelton and Jeremy McMichael battled at the number one doubles spot and how Andy Crane stepped at the number five singles spot. Now we’re coming back here this weekend for the Region III Tournament to see where we stand.”

TIGER NOTES: This marks the third consecutive season that the Fighting Tigers have qualified for the NJCAA Region III Division III Tournament under the direction of Head Coach Scott Hill. During his tenure at the helm, Coach Hill has guided the team to a 19-8 overall record with a 9-2 mark in Mountain Valley Conference play.