WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's tennis team's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against St. Scholastica Saturday was closer than the final score indicates.
Much closer.
The Cardinals gave the visiting Saints all they could handle, but it just wasn't enough, as CSS dealt Saint Mary's a 7-2 conference setback in SMU's final match of the season at the Winona Tennis Center.
"The final score was not indicative of just how close this match was," said Saint Mary's coach
Jeff Halberg. "The match at No. 1 doubles could have gone either way, and the singles matches at No. 2 and No. 3 were incredibly close. If we grab those points, it's a 5-4 Cardinal victory.
"Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be today," Halberg added. "We come out and play like we did today (on Sunday) against Hamline, and we'll end the season with a victory."
St. Scholastica grabbed two of the three singles matches, with
E.J. Hietala and
Brendon Raabolle (Andover, Minn.) teaming for an 8-6 win at No. 2 to account for SMU;'s doubles win.
Three of the six singles matches went to a third set, with the Cardinals'
Josh Janssen (Green Bay, Wis.) and Hietala coming up short at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, while SMU's
Tucker Stene (Fridley, Minn.) outlasted St. Scholastica's Nicolas Greis Coria 6-3, 2-6, 10-2 at No. 6.
The Cardinals (1-7 MIAC, 6-14 overall) close out their season on Sunday, heading to St. Paul, Minn., for a 1 p.m. conference matchup at Hamline.
