DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica men's tennis team welcomes Concordia College-Moorhead to Duluth on Saturday for the start of the 2018 season.
Where:
Duluth Indoor Sports Center (formerly the Arrowhead Tennis Center) – Duluth, Minn.
When:
Saturday – 2 p.m.
Social Media:
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/CSSsaintstennis
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/csssaintstennis
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/css.saints
St. Scholastica Saints
2017 Stats
2017 Record: 20-1, 8-0 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
Season Outlook: The Saints lost three of its top five players from last year's squad that won 20 matches for the third time in the last five years, but dropped just one match to set a program record … CSS does welcome back top player and 2017 UMAC Player of the Year in sophomore
Serhii Tykhonenko (Kiev, Ukraine/Lyceum #100 "Podil") … Tykhonenko was 13-6 at the No. 1 singles spot last season and was briefly ranked regionally … This past fall he became the first Saint to advance to the quarterfinals of the ITA Midwest Regional Tournament … Also returning is junior
Bryce Gadke (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield HS) … Gadke won 12 matches at the No. 5 singles spot last season and won six times at No. 3 doubles … He is a two-time All-UMAC performer …
Trace Combs (White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) is back for his senior season …Combs partnered with Gadke to win four times at No. 3 doubles and also earned five singles wins … The Saints will look to newcomers
Elliot Schneider (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS),
Jake Jolowsky (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing HS),
Jack Kearney (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing HS),
Connor Croft (Virginia, Minn./Virginia HS),
Reed Kolles (Otsego, Minn./Rogers HS) and
Reid Peterson (Blaine, Minn./Blaine HS) to provide depth.
Coach Patten: Head Coach
Wells Patten enters his 22
nd season guiding the St. Scholastica men's tennis program … Patten has led the Saints to 21 consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season titles and sixth straight UMAC Tournament crowns … In 2017, the Saints were ranked for the first time ever in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Region poll and finished with their best single-season win percentage at 20-1 (.952).
Win Streaks: The Saints enter the 2018 season with a 15-match winning streak … The program record is 19 consecutive wins … CSS also enters the year having won 152 consecutive UMAC dual matches, dating back to the 1997 season.
AQ on the Line: For the first time, the winner of the UMAC Tournament in May will receive an automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Tournament … With Crown College and University of Wisconsin-Superior adding tennis, the conference now has enough teams to gain an automatic qualifier.
New Postseason Format: With the automatic qualifier now at stake, the UMAC Tournament will now be hosted by the top-seeded team. The semifinals will take place mid-week at the higher-seeded team followed by the championship match on the weekend by the highest remaining seed.
Top 5 Matches to Watch
2/24 – vs. UW-La Crosse
The Saints defeated the Eagles for the first time in program history last season.
3/3 vs. Luther
CSS' only loss of the 2017 season was a 5-4 decision against the Norse.
4/12 – vs. UW-Superior
The first-ever meeting between the Bridge Rivals.
4/14 – at Saint John's
The Saints have never won on the road against the Johnnies
4/19 at Northwestern (Minn.)
The UMAC title will likely be decided when the Saints and Eagles meet for the only time during the regular season
UMAC Preseason Poll
1. St. Scholastica - 49 points (7 First Place Votes)
2. Northwestern - 43 points (1 First Place Vote)
3. Bethany Lutheran - 37 points
4. Martin Luther - 30 points
5. Minnesota Morris - 23 points
6. Wisconsin-Superior - 22 points
7. Crown -12 points
8. North Central - 8 points
What You Need to Know about Concordia:
-The Cobbers went 5-11 in 2017 with a 2-7 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) record.
-Concordia picked up three wins over UMAC programs, but also defeated Saint John's University and Saint Mary's University in league play.
-The Cobbers are expected to be led by Isaac Toivonen, who was an All-MIAC performer in singles and doubles play last season.
-Toivonen went 13-3 at the No. 1 singles spot last season.
-David Youngs was also an All-MIAC performer in doubles as a freshman.
-Toivonen and Youngs were 9-6 at No. 1 doubles.
Series Record: CSS leads 7-3
(Last Meeting: 5-4 CSS – 1/28/2017)
Series History: The Saints have won six straight in the series, but narrowly defeated the Cobbers 5-4 last season.
Looking Ahead: The Saints are at home again next weekend when they host Saint Mary's University on Saturday.
