AUGUSTA, Maine – The St. John Fisher men's tennis team entered the Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament having already accomplished more than enough to be proud of this season.
Longest winning streak in program history. First 10-win season since 2008. First-ever undefeated regular-season record (8-0) against Empire 8 opponents.
That list will include at least two more lines after St. John Fisher, the No. 1 seed from the conference's West Division, took down East Division No. 2 seed Norwich 4-0 for its first E8 Tournament win since 2007 on Friday at the A. Copi Tennis & Sports Center. Now winners of 10 consecutive matches, the Cardinals (11-3) will face West No. 2 seed Alfred at 1 p.m. on Saturday in their first-ever appearance in the conference championship. With a win, they would stamp their ticket to the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Tournament for the first time in program history.
The Cardinals earned the doubles point against Norwich with victories from freshman Finn Whitaker and senior Sean Brown (second doubles) and freshmen Sebastian Dix and Matthew Lincoln (third doubles).
Fisher finished off the dual victory with singles wins from junior Tyler Hernandez (first singles), Lincoln (third singles) and Dix (fourth singles). All three players won in straight sets.
Empire 8 Tournament dual matches are played until decision (at least four points).
Match-By-Match Results
Doubles 1: Will Chubb/Tyler Hernandez (SJF) vs. Jaxon Redmond/T. Bayly-Henshaw (NOR) UF
Doubles 2: Finn Whitaker/Sean Brown (SJF) def. Stephen Hartigan/J. Gonzalez Torres (NOR) 6-0
Doubles 3: Matthew Lincoln/Sebastian Dix (SJF) def. D. Lorente Fuentes/Reynard Gan (NOR) 6-1
Singles Results
Singles 1: Hernandez (SJF) def. Redmond (NOR) 6-2, 6-0
Singles 2: Chubb (SJF) vs. T. Bayly-Henshaw (NOR) UF
Singles 3: Lincoln (SJF) def. D. Lorente Fuentes (NOR) 6-1, 6-1
Singles 4: Dix (SJF) def. Hartigan (NOR) 6-0, 6-2
Singles 5: Brown (SJF) vs. J. Gonzalez Torres (NOR) UF
Singles 6: Charlie Roberts (SJF) vs. Gan (NOR) UF
Match Notes
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The victory marked the Cardinals' fourth ever in the Empire 8 Tournament.
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Dix improved his team-best singles record to 11-3 and recorded his ninth consecutive win.
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Hernandez improved to 10-4 on the season in first singles.
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Dix and Lincoln improved to 6-0 as doubles partners.
Up Next
The Cardinals face Alfred in the Empire 8 Championship at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Cardinals swept the Saxons in the regular season, winning 5-2 on April 10 and 4-3 on April 18.
The Saxons defeated East No. 1 seed Thomas 4-0 in their semifinal dual match.
