University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
  Men's Tennis  

Stories & Highlights
2008-09 season 

Men's Tennis Team Earns NCAA Tournament Berth (4/30/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's tennis team capitalized on their strong 2008-09 campaign and have earned one of the six at-large regional berths in the 2009 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championship Tournament.

The Devils, ranked #8 in the East Region in last regional ranking poll, have drawn the #8 seed in the regional tournament. The tournament will be hosted by Queens College, the region's #2 seed on May 7-9, 2009. USP will face East Coast Conference champion Concordia College, the region's #1 seed on Friday May 8, 2009. The match is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m.

Leading the way for the Devils at the number one singles position will be sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina). Garcia, a transfer from Division I Belmont University is 7-1 in his last eight completed matches and 9-10 overall with the majority of his matches at the top spot in the order. Garcia will also participate in doubles at the number one doubles slot along with freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.). Fine will also compete at the #3 singles slot. Billy is 8-1 in his last nine completed matches and 11-8 overall.

In the number two singles slot will be junior Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil). Martins, who missed a few matches earlier this spring with an injury, came on strong towards the end of the season, winning six of his last nine matches while sporting a 7-7 overall singles mark. Ricardo will team up at the number two doubles slot with senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.). Caceres also came on strong after missing several matches with an injury. Paul produced a 10-2 singles mark this year and did not lose a match in dual competition (8-0). He is also the Devils all-time wins leader with 83 wins during his career. Caceres will participate in the number four singles position.

Sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.) will be the Devils number five singles position player. Chris has a 6-8 overall singles mark and is 4-6 in his last ten matches. Lukose will also be a doubles participant, teaming up with junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.) at the number three doubles position. Rubin is 7-9 in doubles matches this year, 3-8 when partnering with Lukose. Junior Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) rounds out the Devils six singles participants, competing at the number six slot. Connelly was 10-1 in singles competition this season.

Concordia is led by Alex Grubin at number one singles. Grubin went undefeated in dual match competition this season (15-0) and sports a 29-1 overall record. Andrey Boldarev will play in the number two singles spot. Boldarev is 23-3 overall. Richi Malobicky is at the #3 singles spot and sports a 25-5 overall record. Karim Belhadj (14-10); Viktor Kim (15-4) and Henning Ruenz (19-3) rounds out the Clippers final three singles positions.

The winner of the Concordia-USP match will face the winner of the Adelphi (#4) and Merrimack (#5) match, with the winner advancing to the round of 16 which will take place in Altamonte Springs, Florida, hosted by the Central Florida Sports Commission and Rollins College, May 13-16, 2009.

Caceres, Garcia Advance to CACC Individual Semis; Earn All-Conference Honors (4/25/09)

Paul Caceres and Francisco Garcia each won two matches and advanced to the semi-final round of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Individual Tournament singles competition held on Friday and Saturday at Chestnut Hill College before bowing out to the top two seeds in the tournament.

In reaching the semi-finals, Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.), a senior and Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina), a sophomore, each earned a spot on the first ever CACC All-Conference Men's Tennis Team, joining singles and doubles finalists Adrian Torroella-Cruz and Manoli Sgouros of Philadelphia University and doubles finalists Tom McAvoy and Seppi Hutter, also of Philadelphia University. Entering the singles competition, Caceres had an 8-1 overall singles record while Garcia was 7-9.

Caceres opened the singles competition on Friday with a 10-3 pro-set victory over #4 seed Julius Twyman of Chestnut Hill College to advance to the quarterfinals. There he would take on teammate Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil). Martins, a junior, was a 10-1 winner in his opening round match against Luis Perez of Bloomfield College. In a hard fought match, Caceres got the better of Martins, 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals on Saturday against #2 seed Sgouros. Caceres lost a tough match to the Rams freshman, 6-4, 7-5. It was just his second singles loss all season and the first since the ITA Fall Tournament last October.

Garcia had a slightly easier path to the semi-finals, defeating Andres DeCastro of Bloomfield College, 10-0 in the first round and Adrian Avena, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals for the right to face top seed Torroella-Cruz in the semi-finals. The Philadelphia University freshman went on to the finals, defeating Garcia 7-5, 6-1. Torroella-Cruz went on to win the championship with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Sgouros.

In the doubles flight, Garcia and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) teamed up as the #2 seed in the eight team flight. However the duo were upset in the quarterfinals by McAvoy and Hutter, 8-5. Martins and Caceres made up the other USP doubles team. The two won their quarterfinal match, 8-0 over Johan Pineda and Markeese McLeod of Post. Martins and Caceres then faced top doubles seed Torroella-Cruz and Sgouros in the semi-finals. They proved to be the hardest match for the eventual tournament winners, eventually losing though, 8-5.

The Devils will now wait until Wednesday to see if they earn at at-large berth in the NCAA National Tournament.

Tennis Team Falls in CACC Championship Match (4/23/09)

Philadelphia University claimed the inaugural Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Men Tennis Team Championship on Thursday as they defeated the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia 5-0 at the Chestnut Hill College Tennis Courts in Philadelphia.

The Devils conclude the season with an 11-7 team record. The CACC individual tennis championship tournament begins on Friday, April 24, 2009 and is being hosted by Chestnut Hill College.

The Rams took the early lead by sweeping all three doubles matches. Adrian Torroella-Cruz and Manoli Sgouros teamed up to defeat sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.), 8-3 at #1 doubles while junior Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.) lost to Tom McAvoy and Seppi Hutter, 8-3 at the number two doubles slot. The Rams completed the sweep as Mario Bermeo and Eric Guerrero defeated junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.) and sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.) 9-8 (7-5).

Philadelphia University, the top seed in the tournament, needed just two wins in the singles contests to clinch the match and the title. Sgouros picked up the win at #2 singles, defeating Martins, 6-2, 6-1 and Hutter followed with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Lukose at #5 singles to complete the sweep and win the championship, earning the Rams the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. USP will have to wait until next week to see if they earn at at-large berth in the tournament.

Next up for the Devils will be the CACC Individual Tournament at Chestnut Hill on April 24-25, 2009. Garcia, Caceres and Martins will be competing in both singles and doubles competition while Fine will join them in the doubles championship.

Tennis Team Advances to CACC Championship Match with Win over Griffins (4/21/09)

In the inaugural season of men's tennis as a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference championship sport, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's tennis team has lived up to expectations as they finished second in the regular season. On Tuesday, the Devils took the next step towards the CACC Championship when they defeated Chestnut Hill College 5-1 in the semi-finals of the conference playoffs and advanced to the conference championship match.

The Devils will face top seed Philadelphia University on Thursday at Chestnut Hill College. The match will begin at 3:00 p.m. Philadelphia University was a 5-0 victor over #4 seed Bloomfield College in the other semi-final match.

The Devils opened up their semi-final contest by sweeping all three doubles contests to take a 3-0 lead. The team of sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) defeated Julius Twyman and Steve Hlava, 8-3 at#1 doubles while junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.) and sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.) defeated Reese Brown and Albert Council, 8-0 at #3 doubles. The Devils toughest doubles competition came at the #2 slot where junior Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.) upended Carson Richter and Adrian Avena 8-6.

Entering the singles matches, the Devils needed just two more wins to clinch the match and got them at the #5 and #6 singles slots. Lukose defeated Council 6-0, 6-3 at number five singles and junior Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) was a straight set winner, 6-0, 6-0 over Brown at #6 singles. Chestnut Hill's lone point came at #3 singles when Richter upset Fine at #3 singles, 6-1, 6-0.

USP is now 11-6 overall, equaling their single season best total for wins, set back in 2007.

In another tidbit of men's tennis news, Paul Caceres was honored Tuesday night at USP's Student Government Association Leadership awards receptions with the Men's Senior Athlete of the Year Award. Caceres set the school men's tennis record for most career wins last week and has 81 victories to his credit.

USP Sweeps Caldwell for Sixth Straight Win (4/19/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's tennis team closed out their regular season with their sixth straight win, a 9-0 shutout of Caldwell College on Sunday in Caldwell, New Jersey. The win was also the Devils fifth straight shutout win.

The Devils finish the regular season with a 10-6 overall record and an 8-2 mark in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matches. Their 8-2 mark places them in second place and gives them the #2 seed in the upcoming CACC playoffs which will begin on Tuesday. Caldwell finishes their season with a 3-10 record and a 3-7 mark in CACC contests.

Starting things off in the doubles competition, all three USP doubles combos won their matches by identical 8-1 scores. Sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) defeated Mike Manna and Thane McKenzie at the number one doubles position while juniors Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) were victorious over Andy Loughnane and Kogiso Rhenoster at number two doubles. Freshman Roger Van Scyoc (Palmyra Area HS/Palmyra, Pa.) and sophomore Jason Chen (John P. Stevens/Edison, N.J.) rounded out the doubles winners, defeating Chad Bennett and Louis Satorio at number three doubles.

In singles competition, all six matches were played using pro-set format. Garcia and Martins won their matches at #1 and #2 singles respectively with Garcia defeating McKenzie, 8-0 and Martins shutting out Anish Kanasakar, 8-0. Both Martins and Garcia have now won five straight singles matches. Van Scyoc also won his match 8-0, defeating Rhenoster at the number five slot and extending his singles win streak to six matches Fine extended his singles winning streak to eight matches with an 8-1 win over Manna at #3 singles while Connelly also now sports an eight-match winning streak with an 8-1 win over Loughnane at #4 singles. Chen, playing in his first singles match of the season, defeated Satorio, 8-3 at the #6 slot to complete the sweep for the Devils.

The CACC playoffs will begin on Tuesday, April 21, 2009. USP will face Chestnut Hill College, the #3 seed. Times and location are to be determined. Check the USP website for details.

Fifth Straight Win Solidifies Second Place for Devils (4/18/09)

The win streak for the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men’s tennis team is now at five at the Devils swept visiting Bloomfield College on Saturday, 9-0.

USP’s record in now 9-6 overall and 7-2 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matches. The win also solidifies their second place position in the conference standings and clinches the #2 seed in the upcoming playoffs. USP will host the #3 seed Chestnut Hill College on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the McNeil Field Courts, weather permitting. Bloomfield finishes the regular season with a 3-8 overall record and a 3-7 record in conference matches.

The Devils started the match by sweeping all three doubles contests. Senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/Teaneck, N.J.) and junior Ricardo Martins (Idegeio Pentagono/Sao Paolo, Brazil) defeated Johan Orange and Revang Patel at #1 doubles 8-0. Sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) were 8-1 winners over Luis Perez and Evan McCall at #2 doubles. Junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.) and freshman Alex Grasu (Franklin HS/Reisterstown, Md.) rounded out the doubles victors, defeating Andres DeCastro and Terry Gibbs, 8-3 at the number three slot.

In singles competition, four of the singles winners recorded straight set 6-0, 6-0 triumphs. Martins defeat Orange at the number one slot, while Fine defeated McCall at the number three slot. Caceres was victorious over DeCastro at number four singles and freshman Roger Van Scyoc (Palmyra Area HS/Palmyra, Pa.) defeated Gibbs at the number six slot. Garcia and junior Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) completed the sweep with wins at #2 and #5 singles respectively. Garcia was a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Patel and Connolly was a 6-0, 6-1 winner over Perez.

The Devils conclude their regular season with a match on Sunday, April 19, 2009 at Caldwell College. The first round of the CACC playoffs will begin on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.

Devils Clinch Playoff Spot with Fourth Straight Win (4/16/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia continued their recent string of solid play on Thursday as they clinched a spot in the upcoming Central atlantic Collegiate Conference playoffs with a resounding 9-0 win over visiting Caldwell College.

The win, USP's fourth straight, boosts the Devils record to 8-6 overall and 6-2 in CACC matches. Caldwell falls to 2-9 overall and 2-6 in conference matches.

The Devils started off with a 2-0 advantage as the Cougars defaulted at #3 doubles and #6 singles. USP then swept the two remaining doubles matches to have a 4-0 lead going into singles competition. Sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) earned a 8-0 victory over Mike Manna and Anish Kanasakar at #1 doubles while junior Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.) defeated Josh Getka and Andy Loughnane at #2 doubles by an identical 8-0 score.

In singles competition, Martins proceeded to defeat Kanasakar 6-0, 6-0 at #2 singles while Fine also recorded a 6-0, 6-0 win over Getka at the number three slot. Caceres was a 6-0, 6-0 winner at the number four slot, defeating Loughnane while Garcia was a 6-1, 6-1 winner over Manna at #1 singles. Junior Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) rounded out the Devils winners on the afternoon with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Joe Fahey.

The Devils return to action for their final home contest on Saturday, April 18, 2009 when they host Bloomfield College. USP defeated the Deacons 8-1 earlier this season. The match starts at noon at the McNeil Field Courts.

Devils Earn Third Straight Win (4/12/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men’s tennis team ran their winning streak to three games on Saturday with a 7-0 win over visiting Post University.

The Devils are now 7-6 overall on the season and 5-2 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference games. Post falls to 0-9 overall and 0-8 in CACC matches.

Just like their match against the Eagles a week ago, the Devils started the match with a 2-0 advantage as the Eagles defaulted at #3 doubles and #6 singles. USP then swept the two singles matches to take a 4-0 lead. Junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.) and freshman Alex Grasu (Franklin HS/Reisterstown, Md.) played at the #1 doubles spot, defeating Markeese McLeod and Johan Pineda 8-1. The Devils #2 doubles team of senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/Teaneck, N.J.) and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) also won by the same 8-1 score, defeating Omar Allyne and Adam Marenholz.

Moving onto the singles, the Devils recorded wins at #1, #3 and #4 singles to complete the 7-0 sweep. No matches were played at #2 and #5 singles since the Devils had already clinched the win. Fine, playing in the #1 singles slot, defeated Pineda, 8-1. Caceres, playing at the #4 slot, defeated Marenholz, 8-0. Freshman Roger Van Scyoc (Palmyra Area HS/Palmyra, Pa.) rounded out the USP winners with an 8-1 win over Davon Berger at the #3 singles slot.

The Devils return to action on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 with a non-conference home match against Millersville University. Starting time is set for 3:00 p.m.

Devils Complete Season Series Sweep of Griffins in Style (4/9/09)

For the second time in two days, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's tennis team faced the Chestnut Hill College men's tennis team in a league match. On Wednesday, the Devils defeated the Griffins 6-3 at Chestnut Hill. Yesterday, on their home court, the Devils completed the season series sweep of the Griffins with a 9-0 win.

The win moves the Devils into sole possession of second place in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference standings with a 4-2 league record. USP is now 6-6 overall. Chestnut Hill falls to third place with a 3-3 league mark and a 6-7 overall record. The Griffins are also ranked #9 in the NCAA division II East Region rankings.

The most exciting match of the day came at #1 singles, where CHC's Julius Twyman took sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) into a third set after splitting the first two. Garcia came out on top with a 6-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-4) win. Garcia also won his doubles match, teaming with freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) to defeat Twyman and Steve Hlava, 8-3. Fine was also victorious at #3 singles with a 6-2, 7-6 win over Hlava.

Junior Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) won his second consecutive match at#2 singles, defeating Adrian Avena for the second straight day, 6-1, 6-3. Martins also teamed up with senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.) to defeat Avena and Carson Richter 8-2 at #2 doubles. Caceres later defeated Richter 6-2, 7-6 at #2 singles and remains undefeated in singles competition this season at 5-0.

Rounding out the USP winners were juniors Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS /Langhorne, Pa.) and Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) and sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.). Rubin and Lukose teamed up to defeat Albert Council and Reese Brown, 8-1 at #3 doubles while Lukose later defeated Council 6-1, 6-2 at #5 singles. Connelly defeated Resse 8-0 at #6 singles to complete the shutout.

The Devils return to action on Saturday, April 11, 2009 when they host Post University in a CACC match at the McNeil Field Courts, weather permitting. Start time for the match is 1:00 p.m.

Singles Play Propels Devils to Win over Griffins (4/8/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's tennis team won five of their six singles contests as they defeated Chestnut Hill College 6-3 at the CHC Tennis Courts Wednesday afternoon.

The win improves USP's record to 5-6 overall and 3-2 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contests. Chestnut Hill falls to 6-6 overall and 3-2 in league play. The win was also the Devils first over a regionally ranked opponent this season as the Griffins are currently ranked #9 in the East Region.

Sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) combined to win the Devils only doubles match, an 8-4 victory over Steve Hlava and Julius Twyman at #1 doubles. Garcia and Fine also won their respective singles matches. Garcia defeated Twyman 6-1, 6-2 at #1 singles for his third dual match singles win of the season. Fine had a tougher time with Hlava at #3 singles, winning the first set 7-5 before completing the victory by taking the second set 6-1 to improve his singles record to 5-6 on the season.

Senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.) returned to action for the first time since USP's first match of the spring on March 13th and did not show any signs of rust after sitting with a knee injury. Caceres defeated Carson Richter 6-4, 6-0 at #4 singles, improving to 4-0 on the season. Juniors Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) rounded out the Devils singles winners in the match. Martins was a 6-1, 6-2 winner over Adrian Avena at #2 singles while Connelly defeated Albert Council, 6-2, 6-4 at #6 singles. Martins is now 2-4 this season in singles competition while Connelly is now 5-1.

Chestnut Hill won two of the three doubles matches and took the #5 singles match to account for their three points in the match. Kenny Stubblefield needed a tiebreaker to defeat sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.) at #5 singles, 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-2). Lukose also dropped his #2 doubles match while teamed with junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS /Langhorne, Pa.), 8-5, losing to Richter and Avena. Council and Stubblefield won at #3 doubles, defeating USP's Roger Van Scyoc (Palmyra Area HS/Palmyra, Pa.) and Jason Chen (John P. Stevens/Edison, N.J.), 8-4.

The Devils return to action on Thursday, April 9, 2009 when they host Chestnut Hill College at the McNeil Field Courts at 2:00 p.m.

Men’s Tennis Sweeps the Eagles (4/5/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia earned their second conference win of the season on Saturday with a 9-0 sweep of Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut.

With the win, the Devils improve to 4-4 overall and 2-1 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matches. Post falls to 0-3 overall and 0-2 in league play.

The Devils started the match with a 2-0 advantage as the Eagles defaulted at #3 doubles and #6 singles. The Devils then proceeded to win the two doubles matches to be up 4-0 heading into the singles competition. Sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) defeated Johan Pineda and Markeese McLeod, 8-0 at #1 doubles. Junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS /Langhorne, Pa.) and freshman Alex Grasu (Franklin HS/Reisterstown, Md.) defeated Devon Berger and Adam Marenholz at #2 doubles by the identical 8-0 score.

Garcia and Fine also won their singles matches, with Garcia defeating Pineda and Fine defeating McLeod – both players winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-0 at #1 and #2 singles respectively. Rubin also won his singles match in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0 defeating Berger at #3 singles. Grasu won his first collegiate singles match in similar fashion, defeating Omar Allyne 6-0, 6-0 at #5 singles. Freshman Roger Van Scyoc (Palmyra Area HS/Palmyra, Pa.) rounded out the Devils winners on the day, defeating Marenholz, 6-0, 6-1 at #4 singles.

The men's tennis then returned to the Philadelphia area to take on the CACC’s top team Philadelphia University on Sunday at the Abraham J. Salaman Courts on Philadelphia University’s campus, falling to the Rams 6-3, to drop their record to 4-5 overall and 2-2 in league play.

Earning wins in the match sophomore Jason Chen (John P. Stevens/Edison, N.J.) and Van Scyoc at #3 doubles (defeating, Eric Guerrero and Mario Bermeo, 8-6); Fine at #3 singles (defeating Guerrero 6-3, 6-2) and junior Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) at #6 singles (defeating Bermeo, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5))

USP returns to action on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 when they travel to Chestnut Hill College in a rescheduled match set for 3:00 p.m.

Devils Open Conference Play with Win over Deacons (3/28/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's tennis team won their first ever Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match on Saturday, defeating Bloomfield College 8-1 in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

The win improves USP's overall record to 3-4 and 1-0 in this the inaugural year of CACC competition. Bloomfield falls to 0-2 overall and in conference play.

The Devils jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the match by sweeping all three doubles contest. At #1 doubles the team of freshman Billy Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) and sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.) defeated Ruben Mora and Andres DeCastro, 8-5. Sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS /Langhorne, Pa.) produced an 8-0 sweep of DeVang Patel and Evan McCall at #2 doubles while freshman Roger Van Scyoc (Palmyra Area HS/Palmyra, Pa.) and sophomore Jason Chen (John P. Stevens/Edison, N.J.) defeated Jolsten Wattley and Luis Perez, 8-2 at #3 doubles.

Moving onto the singles competition, USP took five of the six singles matches with three players not losing a game. Junior Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) returned to action after missing a two weeks with a shoulder injury to record a
6-0, 6-0 win over McCall at #2 singles. Fine defeated Patel at #3 singles and junior Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) defeated Wattley at #6 singles by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores. Lukose won his match at#5 singles, defeating Perez, 6-0, 6-1 and Rubin defeated DeCastro, 6-2, 6-2 at #3 singles to round out the USP winners.

Mora recorded the lone win for Bloomfield, defeating Garcia at #1 singles, 6-3, 6-2.

The Devils return to action on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 when they travel to face Caldwell College for their second CACC contest. This match was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 29, 2009 but was postponed due to weather conditions.

Devils Picked Second in CACC Men's Tennis Poll (3/24/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia was picked to finish second in the inaugural Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference men's tennis pre-season poll according to the balloting that was released today by the conference office. The CACC is sponsoring men’s tennis for the first time and the conference will be composed of six teams this season. The CACC will hold a four-team conference tournament on April 21 and 23, followed by an individual tournament on April 24 and 25 at Chestnut Hill College.

Philadelphia University was the unanimous choice to win the conference championship, collecting all six first place votes. Philadelphia reached its first-ever NCAA Regional Tournament last season and set a school record with 15 victories, ending the year at 15-9.

Dr. Julian Snow is in his 19th season at the helm of the men’s tennis program at USP, which was picked second in the poll with 29 points. Gone from this year’s squad is #1 singles player Tyler Weisel who exhausted his eligibility. However, last year’s #2 and #3 singles players, Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.), will move into the top two slots. Martins was 11-3 in singles last season and teamed with Weisel to produce an 11-2 doubles mark. Caceres also won 11 singles matches and was 12-2 in doubles with two different partners.

Chestnut Hill was selected third in the poll with 23 points after doubling its win total from 2007 to 2008, finishing 8-12 last season while Caldwell was chosen fourth in the poll with 17 points after going 5-9 last season. Bloomfield College and Post University round out the final two places in the poll.

The complete 2009 CACC preseason Men’s Tennis Poll is listed below:

2009 CACC Men’s Tennis Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Men’s Tennis Team Falls to Kutztown (3/22/09)

The University of the Sciences men’s tennis teams lost on Saturday as Kutztown University defeated the Devils in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

Kutztown swept all nine matches from the men winning 9-0. The men’s team drops to 2-3 on the season with the loss. while the women fall to 4-7.

KU’s Lukas Labitsch and Santiago Baquerizo teamed up to win 8-1 over sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman William Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) in their No. 1 doubles match. Baquerizo won 6-0, 6-1 over Garcia in the No. 1 singles, while Labitsch also won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, over Fine at the No. 2 spot.

Jonathan Goulet and Arpit Sharma also won multiple matches Saturday for the Golden Bears. The two players teamed up to win 8-0 in the No. 2 doubles match over junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS /Langhorne, Pa.) and sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.). Goulet also won 6-0, 6-0 over Rubin in the No. 3 singles, while Sharma won 6-0, 6-1 over Lukose in the No. 4 singles.

Rounding out the competition, Freshman Roger Van Scyoc (Palmyra Area HS/Palmyra, Pa.) and sophomore Jason Chen (John P. Stevens/Edison, N.J.) lost to Arijit Goswami and Rubens Vianna at No. 3 doubles, 8-5. Goswami also defeated Van Scyoc, 6-1, 6-1 in the No. 5 singles. Andrew Torrealba picked up the win at No. 6 singles, with a 6-3, 6-1 effort over junior Kenneth Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.).

Devils Pull out a Win against West Chester (3/19/09)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's tennis team, playing without their top two players due to injuries, narrowly defeated host West Chester University, 5-4 Wednesday afternoon in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

The win, USP's second straight in the spring, improves their record to 2-2 overall.

The Devils picked up wins in two of the three doubles contests to open the match. The team of sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) and freshman William Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.)defeated John Howanski and Alan Day 8-6 at the #1 doubles slot while freshman Roger Van Scyoc (Palmyra Area HS/Palmyra, Pa.) and sophomore Jason Chen (John P. Stevens/Edison, N.J.) defeated Jon Gordon and David Mulqueen at #3 doubles 8-2.

Leading 2-1 heading into the singles matches, USP needed to win just three of the six contests to take the match. Van Scyoc picked up a win over Gordon at #5 singles and sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/Marietta, Ga.) earned a 6-2-60 win over Michael Ensor at #4 singles. The Devils picked up their final win at #6 singles as junior Ken Connelly (Sacred Heart HS/Millville, N.J.) defeated Mulqueen 6-4, 6-2.

USP lost the #1, #2 and #3 singles matches as Garcia fell to Jeff Rightnour 6-3, 6-3 at #1 singles; Fine lost to Howanski, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 at #2 singles and junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS /Langhorne, Pa.) lost to Day at #3 singles 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-5).

The men's tennis team returns to action on Saturday when they take on Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

Rams Edge Devils (10/7/08)

Philadelphia University won four of their six singles matches on Tuesday afternoon as they narrowly defeated the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men's tennis team 5-4 at the Abraham J. Salaman Courts on Philadelphia University's campus.

The loss drops the Devils record to 0-2. Philadelphia University evens their record at 1-1.

The Devils jumped out to an early 2-1 lead by taking two of the three doubles matches. Senior Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.) and freshman Bill Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) won their #2 doubles match, defeating Seppi Hutter and Ryan Christopher, 8-6. At #3 doubles, junior Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.) and sophomore Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/ Marietta, Ga.) handed Eric Guerrero and Mario Bermeo an 8-3 defeat. USP's #1 doubles team of junior Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and sophomore Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) lost to Adrian Torreola and Tom McAvoy, 8-4.

It was in singles competition that the Rams took control, earning wins at the #1, #3, #4 and #5 slots. USP's two wins came at #2 and #6 singles. Caceres defeated Guerrero, 6-4, 7-5 to take the #2 singles match while Lukose defeated Borys Jarocz, 6-3, 6-1 at the number six slot.

Three of the USP singles losses went to tiebreakers. Fine and Christopher split the first two sets of their match at number four singles, with Christopher winning the first set, 6-2 and Fine the second 4-6. Fine then fell in the tiebreaker 10-4. McAvoy defeated Garcia, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) at number three singles and Hutter defeated Rubin, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) at number five singles. Martins suffered the other USP singles loss, falling to Torreola, 7-5, 6-2 at the number one slot.

Fine only Winner at ITA East Regionals (10/6/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men’s tennis team competed on Saturday and Sunday at the ITA East Regional Tournament hosted by Bloomsburg University. Over the course of the tournament two singles players and two doubles teams reached the round of 16 before being eliminated.

Freshman Bill Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) was the only USP player to record a win to reach the round of 16. On Saturday in the round of 32, Fine defeated Jim Shelp of LeMoyne 8-3 to advance in the “B” singles flight. Merrimack’s John Seaward on Sunday needed a tiebreaker to eliminate Fine in the round of 16, defeating the freshman 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-5).

Junior Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) received a bye into the “A” singles round of 16 before losing to Henning Ruenz of Concordia, 6-2, 6-1. Martins also teamed up with Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina) in doubles, losing in the “A” flight, 8-2 to Michael Maskevich and Tim Fayed of Stonehill College. In “B” doubles, Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.) and Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/ Marietta, Ga.) received a bye into the round of 16 and lost their only match to Victor Suski and Alec Spycher of Bentley College, 8-0.

The Devils return to action on Tuesday, October 7, 2008 when they travel to Philadelphia University for a non-conference match set to start at 3:30 p.m.

Devils fall to La Salle (9/17/08)

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia men’s tennis team kicked off the fall portion of their season on Tuesday, falling to La Salle University, 6-1 at the Belfield Tennis Complex on La Salle’s campus in Philadelphia.

La Salle improves to 4-0 with the win. USP is now 0-1.

In the doubles portion of the match, USP’s #2 doubles team of Paul Caceres (Bergen Catholic HS/ Teaneck, N.J.) and Bill Fine (West Chester East HS/West Chester, Pa.) won their contest, defeating Christian Harvey and Andy Petrusky 8-6. However La Salle took the doubles point by winning the other two contests, as George Gennaoui and Jon Maula defeated Ricardo Martins (Idegio Pentagono/Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Francisco Garcia (Don Cesar Gascon/Balcarce Buenos Aires, Argentina), 8-0 at #1 doubles and Chris Butera and Matt Rivera defeated Dan Rubin (Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.) and Chris Lukose (Lassiter HS/ Marietta, Ga.), 8-1 at #3 doubles.

La Salle then took five of the six singles matches to clinch the victory. USP’s lone point of the match was at #2 singles as Caceres recorded a 6-4, 6-1 win over Petrusky.

USP returns to action on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 when they take on West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania.