Bookend Wins Finish Spring Trip
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (3/04/18)---Concordia started its spring break trip by beating Hanover on Monday and six days later finished off the trip by coming up with a huge 6-3 win at Bethel.
The Cobbers played eight matches in the seven-day break and came away with a 4-4 record. However, the win over the Royals was the most important as Concordia will most likely be in a battle with Bethel for one of the final six conference playoff spots.
Concordia returned from Florida on Friday and then split a pair of matches played at Gustavus on Saturday. CC lost 9-0 to the No.10-ranked Gusties before earning an 8-1 win over Northwestern (Minn.) later in the day.
The Cobbers showed their fatigue from the long spring break trip in the first hour of their match at Bethel. Concordia lost all three doubles bouts and headed into singles play down 3-0 and staring at their third straight conference loss.
Concordia used its experience to turn the match in single play. The Cobbers won all singles bouts – including three in the super-set tie-breaker.
Isaac Toivonen, David Youngs and Jared Saue all won their matches in straight sets to even the team score at 3-3. Toivonen rolled to his seventh win of the year by posting a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No.1 singles.
Youngs needed to go to a tie-breaker in the first set at No. 3 singles but then used the momentum from the 7-5 win to cruise to a 6-1 victory in the second set.
Saue matched Toivonen's team-leading seventh singes win by claiming a 6-3, 6-4 win at No.5 singles. He has now won four of his last six matches.
Senior Matthew Engum bolted to a 6-3 victory in his match at No.4 singles but then stumbled and lost by an identical 6-3 score in the second set. Engum then rebounded to win 10-8 in the super-set.
Erik Porter earned the match-clinching victory in his bout at No.2 singles. Porter started slowly, losing 6-3 in the opening set, but then rebounded with a 6-2 victory in the second and took the super-set 10-6. The win was Porter's second straight victory in the super-set.
David Schneck finished off the team match with a rollercoaster win at No.6 singles. He went to the tie-breaker in the first set but then blanked his opponent 7-0 to take a 1-0 lead. Schneck couldn't hold the momentum and lost 6-4 in the second set. He was able to get back in the match and wore down his opponent in the tie-breaker with a 10-6 victory.
WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will have two full weeks to recover from their eight-match spring trip. The Cobbers will host St. Mary's at Courts Plus in Fargo on Sunday, Mar. 18.
Concordia-M'head 6, Bethel University 3
Mar 04, 2018 at Wite Bear Lake, Minn. (Lifetime Fitness)
Singles competition
1. Isaac Toivonen (CC) def. Hunter Fernelius (BU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Erik Porter (CC) def. Zach Kantor (BU) 3-6, 6-2, 10-6
3. David Youngs (CC) def. Nick Knudsen (BU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
4. Matthew Engum (CC) def. Jakob Bartels (BU) 6-3, 3-6, 10-8
5. Jared Saue (CC) def. Zeke Delain (BU) 6-3, 6-4
6. David Schneck (CC) def. Peter Lindberg (BU) 7-6 (7-0), 4-6, 10-6
Doubles competition
1. Hunter Fernelius/Zach Kantor (BU) def. Isaac Toivonen/David Youngs (CC) 9-7
2. Jakob Bartels/Zeke Delain (BU) def. Erik Porter/David Schneck (CC) 8-2
3. Nick Knudsen/Noah Ridgway (BU) def. Matthew Engum/Ben Swanson (CC) 8-2