Box Score

WINONA, Minn. — After watching his team battle UW-La Crosse from start to finish, about the only disappointment for Saint Mary's University men's tennis coach was the final score.

"I can't say enough about the effort the guys put out today," said Halberg after his team dropped a heartbreaking 5-4 nonconference decision to the Eagles at the SMU Tennis Center. "Every single singles match was a battle — and all three doubles teams gave it everything they had. La Crosse just proved to be a little too deep (in doubles) and that was the difference."

Tyler Stevenson (Neenah, Wis.) and Mark Leeder (Greenfield, Wis.) accounted for SMU's two singles wins, as Stevenson pushed his record to 6-1 with a 6-2, 7-6 (4) triumph over Grant Gernard at No. 1 singles, while Leeder also moved to 6-1 overall with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph at No. 2.

Despite the 2-4 performance in the six singles matches, it was tough for Halberg to be disappointed — especially considering a break here or there and SMU could have easily entered the three doubles matches leading 4-2, rather than trailing 4-2.

"We just couldn't catch a break," said Halberg, noting that both Adam Solseth (Shakopee, Minn.) and Tony Miler (Oak Brook, Ill.) lost three-set matches in which they won the opening set — Solseth falling 2-6, 6-2, 10-5 at No. 4, while Miller dropped a 5-7, 6-1, 10-5 decision at No. 6. "Those two matches could have gone either way. We win those, and the doubles matches take on a whole new light."

Stevenson and Leeder teamed for an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles and Solseth and Ryan Kennedy (Rochester, Minn.) added an 8-4 win at No. 3, but that was as close as SMU (3-4 overall) would get.

"It was a great match," Halberg concluded. "The effort was outstanding — it's just too bad they could not have been rewarded for that effort."