Box Score

NEWPORT, R.I. – The Nichols College men's tennis team defeated Roger Williams 5-3 to capture their fifth-consecutive Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Championship Saturday evening at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

This also marks the fifth-straight time the Bison have defeated the Hawks in the CCC Championship match – and second-consecutive year Roger Williams has fallen as the top seed in the tournament.

"This team has more resolve than any team I have ever coached," said Nichols head coach Paul Brower. "To come back from down after doubles and fight after every point to get the job done for the fifth-consecutive year is amazing."

The Hawks (14-4) took the early lead in doubles taking the top flight 8-3. Seniors Eric Laboissonniere (Cumberland, R.I.) and Jonah Schwartz (Orange, Conn.) knocked off the freshman pairing of Blake Norton (Stratford, Conn.) and Aidan Stuart (Orange, Conn.).

Nichols (19-4) answered right back at No. 3 doubles when senior captain Josh Halpern (Secaucus, N.J.) and junior Jake Zapatka (Wethersfield, Conn.) rallied back to defeat freshman Fred Clifford (Duxbury, Mass.) and sophomore Grant Rosenberg (Melville, N.Y.), 8-6.

Roger Williams had its own rally back in No. 2 doubles and took a 2-1 lead into singles play after senior Andrew Amarone (North Haven, Conn.) and freshman Nick Spoor (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) defeated junior captain James Smith (Monte Sereno, Calif.) and freshman Igor Markowski (Paris, France), 9-8 (10-8).

The Hawks spread their lead to 3-1 after No. 6 singles with Amarone defeating Stuart, 6-2, 6-1. The Bison would take it from there, winning four-straight matches to claim the victory.

Norton knocked off Laboissonniere – the CCC Player of the Year – at No. 1 singles 6-2, 6-2 before Smith took care of business at No. 2 singles against Clifford despite a scare in the first set, 7-5, 6-0 to even the score 3-3.

The No. 4 singles match ended next with Zapatka defeating Schwartz, 6-3, 6-2 to give the Bison the lead.

The match-deciding point came at No. 5 singles as Markowski took care of business against Spoor, 7-5, 6-3 – and the Bison clinched the championship.

The only match that did not finish was No. 3 singles which Halpern was leading Rosenberg in the third set, 4-6, 6-4, 2-0.

"Every team has been different during our run of championships," said Brower. "Some are super talented and some are very close. I can say this one has more heart than any other team I have ever coached and it is not close. They are an amazing group."

The Bison win the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament and will await to see when and where they will play.