Three Dozen Days Between Home Matches
FARGO, N.D. (3/20/22)---It had been 36 days since the Cobbers last played a home match. Concordia finally returned to Courts Plus in Fargo and dropped a 7-2 decision to St. Mary's.
While the score line might show that the Cobbers lost by five, the inside story of the box score shows that Concordia lost a doubles match by an 8-6 margin and a singles match in the super-set, tie-breaker.
The two match wins for the Cobbers mark the first time in MIAC play they have posted a singles or doubles victory. CC is now 0-11 in all matches and 0-6 in conference play.
The doubles team of Sean Martin and Kipton Jenson earned Concordia's first point of the morning when they rallied to win in the tie-breaker at No.2 doubles. Martin and Jenson were down the entire match as they trailed 7-6 heading into the final game. They were come up with the match-saving break, and then used that momentum to pull away in the tie-breaker and win 8-7 (7-5).
The win is the first of the year for Martin and Jenson who were playing their first doubles match together.
The "close call" in doubles came in the No.1 slot where Jake Peters and Eli Simonson lost a back-and-forth battle 8-6. Peters and Simonson trailed for most of the match but had a chance to tie the score at 7-7. Unfortunately, they were never able to come up with back-to-back key points on several deuce scores in the 14th game and lost by two.
Junior 2-sport athlete Nicholas Ness recorded his first collegiate singles victory. Ness, who is playing tennis for the first time in his college career after playing for the Cobber men's hockey team, traded sets to open his match at No.6 singles. He won the first set 6-3 and then dropped the second set 6-2. Ness then rallied in the super-set, tie-breaker and outlasted his opponent 10-7.
Peters had his second "close call" of the day as he lost in the super-set, tie-breaker. The first two sets in the No.1 singles bout were decided in the tie-breaker and then by two games. Peters won 7-6 (4) to take a 1-0 lead, but then fell 6-3 in set No.2. Peters couldn't continue his solid play in the super-set and lost 10-2.
UP NEXT: Concordia will have its first back-to-back, home match stretch of the season when they host Northwestern on Saturday, Mar. 26 at 5 p.m.
Saint Mary's University 7, Concordia-M'head 2
03/20/2022 at Fargo, N.D. (Courts Plus)
Singles competition
1. Brandon Kurilla (SMU) def. Jake Peters (CC) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 10-2
2. Josh Janssen (SMU) def. Sean Martin (CC) 6-1, 6-3
3. E.J. Hietala (SMU) def. Eli Simonson (CC) 6-0, 6-0
4. Peter Quinn (SMU) def. Kipton Jenson (CC) 6-1, 6-3
5. Tucker Stene (SMU) def. Logan Voigt (CC) 6-3, 6-1
6. Nicholas Ness (CC) def. Matt Besek (SMU) 6-3, 2-6, 10-7
Doubles competition
1. Brandon Kurilla/Josh Janssen (SMU) def. Jake Peters/Eli Simonson (CC) 8-6
2. Sean Martin/Kipton Jenson (CC) def. E.J. Hietala/Matt Besek (SMU) 8-7 (7-5)
3. Peter Quinn/Caden Rodning (SMU) def. Logan Voigt/Nicholas Ness (CC) 8-2
