FIGHTING TIGER MEN’S TENNIS DEFEATS DEFENDING REGION III CHAMPION BROOME COMMUNITY COLLEGE 5-4

After his men’s tennis team defeated the defending NJCAA Region III Champion Hornets of Broome Community College by a 5-4 margin at the SUNY Cobleskill Tennis Complex on Saturday afternoon in Cobleskill, NY running their season record to 6-2 on the year; first-year Fighting Tiger Head Coach Scott Hill offered the following explanation, with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, as to the program’s turnaround this year.

“We are the Fighting Tigers, so we use last year’s 0-9 record and the fact that we haven’t had a winning season or been to the regional tournament since 1998 to lull teams into a false sense of security and then we pounce on them,” said Hill. “But seriously, I’m sure that when teams play us that they pick up on the fact, rather quickly, that we are not blessed with great athleticism or an over abundance of raw natural tennis ability.  I also agree with them that we are not the prettiest collection of tennis players to watch out on the court. But I think that attitude plays right into the fact that we are an extremely competitive group of people who battle for every point and do whatever it takes to win matches. Our strengths lay in our competitiveness, our team chemistry, our ability to focus and our mental toughness. This is a fun team to coach and now we’ve got to get ready for Herkimer on Tuesday afternoon.”

Freshman Perry Gould, Cortlandt Manor, NY, Hendrick Hudson High School, led the way for the Fighting Tigers winning at the number four singles spot by scores of 6-1 and 7-6 (7-4) then teaming with senior Justin Friedman, Bedford Hills, NY, Carmel High School, to win the deciding contest of the match at the number three doubles spot by a 10-2 margin.

Cobleskill also received a dramatic victory at the number two singles where freshman Andy Steiner, Perry, NY, Perry High School, gutted out a three set win by scores of 6-4, 4-6 and 7-6 (7-4). Senior captain Derek Norberg, Middleburgh, NY, Middleburgh High School, dominated his number three singles match winning in straight sets by scores of 6-3 and 6-1 while freshman Mike Hooker, Cicero, NY, Cicero-North Syracuse High School, continued his strong play also winning in straight sets by scores of 6-3 and 6-2.

The Fighting Tigers will next travel to Herkimer, NY, on Tuesday April 25th for their final regular season match of the year versus Mountain Valley Conference rival Herkimer Community College beginning at 4:00 PM.