Men’s tennis swept in NEC opener

Men’s tennis swept in NEC opener
By Andrew Fletcher
March 29, 2008

HAMDEN – Quinnipiac’s men’s tennis team was swept at home by Fairleigh Dickinson in both of the teams’ conference openers Saturday afternoon, dropping all nine matches in the 7-0 defeat. The Bobcats fall to 3-5 (0-1 NEC) and the Knights improve to 6-5 (1-0 NEC).

Only Brian Mikkelson (No. 2) and Tom Curran (No. 5) were able to force third sets in their singles matches, before dropping both. Mikkelson lost to Fairleigh Dickinson’s Matt Gordon, while Curran was handled by Kyle Eddins.

Joe Nuara (No. 6) almost forced a third set in his match, but lost 7-6 in the second set. All of the other singles matches were decided in straight sets.

Mikkelson and Sean Pease played a competitive No. 1 doubles match, but fell 8-6 to Fairleigh Dickinson’s Esteban Blanco and Philip Stephens. John Hughes and Curran were easily defeated by Gordon and Josh Girling 8-1 in No. 2 doubles. Scott Salway and Nuara played their No. 3 doubles match close, as they lost 9-8 to Priit Gross and Eddins.

“I think we played well at times and we need to continue to work on learning to finish the job,” Quinnipiac head coach Mike Quitko told QuinnipiacBobcats.com.

The Bobcats, who have now lost two in a row, won’t have much time to think about this loss. They will face visiting Hofstra tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. The Pride come into the match with a record of 3-5-1 after losing to Villanova Saturday afternoon.

Men’s tennis downed by Villanova 5-2

Men’s tennis downed by Villanova 5-2
By Andrew Fletcher
March 28, 2008

HAMDEN — Despite the successes of freshmen Brian Mikkelson (Mequon, Wis.) and Sean Pease (Falmouth, Mass.), Quinnipiac’s men’s tennis team was unable to beat the Villanova Wildcats, losing 5-2 Wednesday afternoon.

Mikkelson defeated Villanova’s Brian Maher in straight sets in No. 2 singles. Pease was victorious in No. 3 singles, as he took care of Trenton Alenik in straight sets as well. These were the only singles matches the Bobcats were able to win.

John Hughes (Springfield, Mass.) fell in No. 1 singles, Scott Salway (Glastonbury, Conn.) took his No. 4 singles match to a third set before falling short and Tom Curran (Fairfield, Conn.) and Joe Nuara (Little Silver, N.J.) were each taken care of in straight sets in No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively.

The Bobcats were successful in doubles play at first. Mikkelson and Pease defeated Dimitri Chimerakis and Maher in No. 1 doubles. However, they dropped No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, giving the Wildcats the crucial doubles point.

“It was a tough match, well-played by both teams in windy conditions,” Quinnipiac head coach Mike Quitko told QuinnipiacBobcats.com. “They converted more big points than us.”

Quinnipiac hopes to rebound tomorrow afternoon at home when they face Fairleigh Dickinson at 1 p.m. in their Northeast Conference opener. They will also face Hofstra at home on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Tennis’ Mikkelson named NEC Player of the Week

Tennis’ Mikkelson named NEC Player of the Week
By Andrew Fletcher
March 19, 2008

Freshman Brian Mikkelson earned Northeast Conference Player of the Week honors last week, the league office announced. He won three of four matches he played this week, including sweeping his Hartford opponents.

Against Hartford, Mikkelson defeated Emmett Drake at No. 2 singles and defeated Drake and Tim Glickman at No. 2 doubles, paired with Joe Nuara (Little Silver, N.J.).

Mikkelson came back to defeat Rhode Island’s Jeff Cote in No. 2 singles. After dropping the first set, he won the second set 7-6 in a tie-break and took the third set easily. While playing alongside Sean Pease (Falmouth, Mass.), he was beaten 9-8 in No. 1 doubles by Cote and Jared Dorfman.

The Mequon, Wisc. native, is now 28-7 in his freshman season for the Bobcats, including a 15-2 record in doubles play when paired with Pease.

The 3-3 Bobcats, who have been off for 10 days, return to action tomorrow. They will travel to Storrs, Conn. to take on the Connecticut Huskies at 2 p.m. The Huskies have a record of 3-5 and are coming off of a 4-3 victory against Monmouth.

A Letter from the Editors

The WQAQ Sports Blog was an idea generated by the WQAQ Sports Department over the winter break between the fall and spring semesters this year.

We never thought it would get this big.

Since January 23, 2007, the day we started the blog, it has recieved just over 2,900 views from you, our loyal readers.

So for that, we say thank you.

Whether you are a parent of our fine Quinnipiac athletes, a parent of our fantastic WQAQ Sports Department staff that make up our writers, or a fan of Quinnipiac Athletics, thank you for reading all semester.

From the opening of the TD Banknorth Sports Center, to the firing of Joe DeSantis, to the hockey team’s run to the ECAC Hockey Championship Game, to the hiring of Tom Moore, and even through the baseball team’s trip to the NEC Tournament, this has been a truly historic semester for Quinnipiac Athletics, and we are truly glad we could bring it to you on this page.

So for the summer, we say adieu. But please know that we will be back in the fall. We hope to have have periodic articles over the summer, but WQAQ Sports will continue to endeavor to bring you the best Quinnipiac Sports coverage on the net when we return in the fall semester.

So until then, have a fantastic summer!

Sincerely,

Seth Rothman and Steve Tisi
WQAQ Sports Directors

Curran Making Strong Impact At Quinnipiac

Curran Making Strong Impact At Quinnipiac
By Zach Smart

Since stepping foot onto the scenic campus of Quinnipiac University in the fall of 2005, Fairfield product Tom Curran has made a big splash with the Bobcats’ top-tier tennis program.

Curran, who had a storied career at Fairfield Prep—where he garnered first team All-State and All-SCC accolades, was immediately plunged into a significant role. A recruit that Quinnipiac actively pursued and invested four years in, Curran didn’t disappoint.

He helped the Bobcats capture the Northeast Conference championship as a freshman in 2006, as he finished 4-0 in singles during conference action. This past season, Curran registered an overall record of 11-9 while winning three of four NEC conference matches.

Though nearly 30 miles down the Merrit Parkway in Hamden, Curran feels right at home.

“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” says Curran, an All-NEC second team selection.

“We have a lot of fun on our trips and we never let it get too serious, for the most part.”

The jump to Division-I tennis, according to Curran, included more all-around commitment.

“We play all fall, have winter break off, then we play all spring and summer. In college, it’s more of a team thing because you spend a lot of time with everyone and we all push each other to get better. We compete with each other and it helps us improve. And everyone is good in college, there are not many walk overs, you know?”

Quinnipiac’s season concluded with a 4-2 loss to Monmouth in the NEC semifinals.

Curran came into his element during the post-season tournament, with wins against Wagner and a critical 7-6, 6-3 victory over Vik Gupta during the Monmouth match.

“That was my emotional high (of the season),” explained Curran. “The team needed me to win and I knew I had to win to give us a chance. I felt the pressure, but it felt real good to get the ‘W.’”

Against Wagner in the conference quarterfinals, Curran was one of three double-winners, helping lift the Bobcats to a 4-0 trouncing of the Seahawks.

Curran and Glastonbury’s Scott Salway recorded an 8-0 No.3 doubles win over the Seahawks’ tandem of Will Shuler and Sheldon Wilson. Curran later defeated Shuler in a 6-0, 6-0 match.

“We have to re-load for next year,” explained Curran, noting that 2007 graduation will claim several of the Bobcats’ key players.

Aside from tennis, Curran says he also enjoys playing pick-up basketball at Quinnipiac. “I play basketball a lot still,” said Curran, who was a guard/forward during his stay at Fairfield Prep.

Any tennis players Curran would like to shoot hoops with sometime?

“Probably James Blake (professional tennis star from Fairfield),” said Curran. “He can jump and he’s quick.”

On the tennis court, Curran’s ready to take on a big role next season.

“We start in the fall, and we play about four tournaments and those are some very long weekends. But the real season is in the spring. Next year we have to re-load and be ready.”