QUINCY, Mass. (April 14) —The Nichols College men's tennis team swept doubles play and won five of six singles matches to overtake Eastern Nazarene Thursday, 8-1. The win keeps Nichols' perfect record in The Commonwealth Coast Conference intact at 9-0 while their overall record for the 2011 season improves to 12-4. The loss drops Eastern Nazarene to 9-7 and 5-4 in conference play.

Nichols' Steve Carella and Tyler McLaughlin handled Austin Steelman and Brandon Lum in the No. 1 doubles slot, winning 8-0. Isiah Prosper teamed up with Daniel Young in the No. 2 doubles match to defeat Eastern Nazarene's Eric Johnson and Tim Luz 8-3. Eliot Wuhrmann and David Drucker finished off the doubles sweep picking up the 8-2 win over Ryan Robbins and Nick Thompson.

Eastern Nazarene's Steelman put the Lions back into contention as he overtook Drucker in three sets to pick up his seventh consecutive conference win in singles play.

Nichols held the Lions in check the rest of the way winning each of the remaining matches to secure their ninth conference win as a team this season.

Nichols' Carella defeated Lum in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4 while McLaughlin fought Luz in a tiebreaker to win 6-2, 3-6, 12-10.

Nichols' Young won over Johnson 6-1, 6-3, and Prosper and Wuhrmann each won in the fifth and sixth flights without Wuhrmann dropping a game.

Nichols will put its perfect conference record on the line on Saturday when they take on Salve Regina in an 11:30 AM match at Holy Cross. Eastern Nazarene will try to solidify a playoff spot on Saturday on the road against Western New England College at noon.

Tennis Match Results
Nichols vs Eastern Nazarene College
04/14/11 at Quincy, Mass.
(ENC Campus Courts)

Nichols 8, Eastern Nazarene College 1

Singles competition
1. Austin Steelman (ENC) def. David Drucker (NC) 6-7, 6-3, 10-5
2. Steve Carella (NC) def. Brandon Lum (ENC) 7-5, 6-4
3. Tyler McLaughlin (NC) def. Tim Luz (ENC) 6-2, 3-6, 12-10
4. Daniel Young (NC) def. Eric Johnson (ENC) 6-1, 6-3
5. Isiah Prosper (NC) def. Nick Thompson (ENC) 6-1, 6-1
6. Eliot Wuhrmann (NC) def. Ryan Robbins (ENC) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Steve Carella/Tyler McLaughlin (NC) def. Austin Steelman/Brandon Lum (ENC) 8-0
2. Isiah Prosper/Daniel Young (NC) def. Eric Johnson/Tim Luz (ENC) 8-3
3. Eliot Wuhrmann/David Drucker (NC) def. Ryan Robbins/Nick Thompson (ENC) 8-2

Match Notes:
Nichols 12-4/ 9-0 TCCC
Eastern Nazarene College 9-7/ 5-4 TCCC


Courtesy Eastern Nazarene Sports Information