Match Summary | GameDay Preview

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's tennis team's season-opening three-match winning streak — the first time in coach Jeff Halberg's 15-year tenure at the helm that the Cardinals had opened the season 3-0 — came to a screeching halt on Friday.

Carleton, runner-up in the MIAC race a year ago — with its only loss coming to conference-champion Gustavus — proved to be rather ungracious guests, as the Knights handed SMU a 7-2 setback in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener at the Winona Tennis Center.

“We played really well against a very talented team,” said Halberg. “I am very proud of the way the entire team played tonight. With Michael (Lunka's) back causing him to have to pull out of the singles lineup, everyone was forced to move up  and played very well.

“The score really doesn't tell just how good this match was.”

Lunka and Bobby Steingraeber (La Crosse, Wis.) picked up an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles, as SMU headed into the singles portion of the match down 2-1. With Lunka's back acting up, Sam Puff (Eden Prairie, Minn.) moved up into the No. 1 position, dropping a hard-fought, 6-4, 1-6, 10-4 three-setter to Carleton's Austin Jiang. Collin Kaczorowski (Suamico, Wis.), meanwhile, accounted for SMU's other win, collecting a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 5 singles

The Cardinals (0-1 MIAC, 3-1 overall) are right back in action on Saturday, as SMU travels to St. Peter, Minn., for a 4 p.m. conference showdown against Gustavus at the Swanson Tennis Center.