Playoff Season Comes To An End
ST. PAUL, Minn. (5/02/18)---It wasn't the finish that Concordia wanted to write for their playoff-season story as the Cobbers fell 8-1 at Macalester in the quarterfinals of the MIAC tournament.
The conference tournament loss doesn't diminish the fact that Concordia was able to get to the postseason for the first time since 2011. The Cobbers, who were picked to finish in a tie for seventh place in the preseason coaches' poll, placed fifth in the final conference standings which is the highest finish since the 2011 campaign as well.
Concordia finishes the season with 11 overall wins which is the most by a CC team in 13 years. The 2005 team went 12-7.
The Cobbers got their lone win of the match at No.3 doubles where senior Matthew Engum and freshman Ben Swanson claimed an 8-6 win.
Concordia had chances to grab wins in the other two doubles bouts but the No.1 doubles tandem of Isaac Toivonen and David Youngs came up a service break short and lost 8-6.
The closest singles match came at No.1 singles where Toivonen rolled to a 6-1 win in the first set but then lost 6-0 in the second. The two players then staged a classic back-and-forth super-set tie-breaker. Unfortunately Toivonen fell 10-7 in his final collegiate match.
Engum nearly forced a super-set tie-breaker in his match at No.5 singles. He dropped the first set 6-2 but then rallied to force a tie-breaker in the second set only to lose 7-3.
TOIVONEN TAKES: Isaac Toivonen finishes his storied Cobber career with a 36-27 record in singles play. Toivonen was also 22-16 in conference play during his time in maroon and gold. All of Toivonen's matches came at No.1 singles. He also won 23 doubles bouts and 12 in league play.
SEASON WINNERS: Toivonen led Concordia in singles win in 2018 as he won 12 in 21 matches. Jared Saue was second with 11 singles victories and Erik Porter was third with nine. Toivonen also led the squad in conference victories with six. Porter and David Schneck were tops on the team in doubles wins. The pair won 11 matches playing at No.2 doubles. Matthew Engum and Ben Swanson won their last four doubles bouts, and seven of their final eight, and were second on the team with 10 doubles victories.
Macalester 8, Concordia-M'head 1
5/2/2018 at St. Paul, Minn. (Hayden Courts)
Singles competition
1. Sam Hochberger (MAC) def. Isaac Toivonen (CC) 1-6, 6-0, 10-7
2. Josh Doyle (MAC) def. Erik Porter (CC) 6-0, 6-0
3. Aidan Tirpack (MAC) def. Jared Saue (CC) 6-2, 6-0
4. Ben White (MAC) def. David Youngs (CC) 6-3, 6-1
5. Matthew Yang (MAC) def. Matthew Engum (CC) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Peter Willenborg (MAC) def. David Schneck (CC) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Sam Hochberger/Josh Doyle (MAC) def. Isaac Toivonen/David Youngs (CC) 8-6
2. Aidan Tirpack/Ben White (MAC) def. Erik Porter/David Schneck (CC) 8-4
3. Ben Swanson/Matthew Engum (CC) def. Matthew Yang/Peter Willenborg (MAC) 8-6