Match Summary

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Saint Mary's University men's tennis coach Jeff Halberg summed up Sunday's nonconference match against North Central in just four simple words — “It was a war.”

The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-1 lead after the three doubles matches, but North Central rallied to win four of the six singles matches — including an epic three-setter at No. 1 — to beat SMU 5-4.

“It was a war, plain and simple,” said Halberg, whose team had its four-match winning streak snapped with the loss. “There were some great individual matches, but (North Central) just had a little more in the end.

“It was a great match — and a tough loss.”

Mike Lunka (Eagan, Minn.) and Bobby Steingraeber (La Crosse, Wis.) collected an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles and Tim Wolford (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Steven Mino (Austin, Minn.) added an 8-3 win at No. 3 to give the Cardinals their 2-1 lead after the doubles competition.

Wolford and Sam Puff (Eden Prairie, Minn.) added straight-set singles wins — Wolford 6-0, 6-4 at No. 2 and Puff 6-2, 6-3 at No. 4 — but that would be all for SMU, which lost in straight sets at No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6, while Lunka dropped a heartbreaking 7-6, 6-7, 10-6 decision at No. 1.

“That match at No. 1 (singles) was amazing,” Halberg said. “Mike and (Matt Boguslawski) were serving thunderbolts at each other — it definitely was a match that could have gone either way.”

The Cardinals (5-4 overall) are back in action on Tuesday, traveling to Adrian, Mich., for a 2 p.m. nonconference match against the Bulldogs.