By Jake Cohen
Correspondent
The College’s men’s tennis team fell at home on Saturday, Feb. 22, to Babson College, 6-3, in what was the opener of the spring schedule for hosts.
The match had a promising start for the Lions (0-1), who walked away with two out of three possible points in doubles. At first doubles, the pairing of senior Howard Telson and sophomore Pierce Cooper came away with an 8-5 victory, while the combination of senior Gabe Allen and junior Andrew Grossman were able to pull out an 8-6 win at the number three doubles spot.
The visiting Beavers were able to dominate in singles, though, taking five of the available six points, with Pierce Cooper earning the sole point for the Lions at the second slot.
Cooper’s 6-2, 6-3 win made his day undoubtedly the most impressive by the Lions, as he was the only player to notch a win in both singles and doubles. Yet Pierce was quick to acknowledge the strong outings put forward by his teammates.
“We played a good team, but all of our guys competed well,” Cooper said.
While the Lions were unable to come out on top in the end, the match was bittersweet for Telson, who recorded his 50th career win at doubles. Pierce credited his win at first doubles to the experience of Telson. As noted by Cooper, Telson’s experience is a valuable asset for the team, but it is a strength that the young Lions are lacking.
“We are a young team with a lot of new starters,” Cooper said. “But I expect as the season goes on, we will gain more experience and we will see better results.”
The roster for the College boasts the additions of five freshmen, including starter Mike Stanley, who teams up with sophomore Dan Presuto at second doubles, in addition to owning the fifth slot for singles.
Like the roster of the Lions, the season is still young. While there are bound to be some growing pains throughout the year, the future for the squad looks to be promising.
The Lions continue their season with a home match on Saturday, March 1, against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, followed by another home match against Washington College on Sunday, March 2.
