Gophers Sunk by No. 44 Ducks in NCAA Opener
LEXINGTON, Va. - The Goucher College men's tennis team was downed by No. 44 Stevens Institute of Technology in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship Friday afternoon at Washington & Lee University's tennis complex.
The Ducks improve to 14-6 and takes on No. 5 Emory in Saturday's second round. Goucher, which was making the sixth NCAA appearance in program history sees its season come to a close at 14-9.
In doubles, the Ducks won at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles by 8-2 scores. Angel Cerpa and Benedikt Rummel battled at No 2 before falling 8-4.
After singles got underway, the action was halted for rain. After play resumed, Stevens won at No. 4 and No. 5 singles to wrap up the match.
Gabe Naftoly won his first set at No. 2 singles 6-2 and was headed to a third set when play was halted after he dropped the second set 6-0. Rummel was leading the second set 3-2 as he tried to force a third set when play was stopped.
Goucher, which saw a seven-match win streak snapped, was making its first NCAA appearance since 2022. The Gophers captured the sixth Landmark Conference title in program history and their 14 wins were the most since 2019.