Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Quinnipiac
Bednarek Leads Bison Men's Tennis to Narrow 4-3 Win over Quinnipiac
2/1/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 1, 2009
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Senior Ryan Sandburg (Orange, Calif./Canyon) was victorious at both No. 1 singles and doubles, and classmate Daniel Bednarek (Haworth, N.J./Bergen Catholic) won the decisive point of the match at No. 6 singles, leading the Bucknell men's tennis team to a 4-3 win over Quinnipiac in its first dual match of the season on Sunday at the West Branch Tennis Center.
The match was knotted at 3-3 with Bednarek the last Bison on the courts. The senior outlasted Zach Tuckerman 6-4, 6-4 for his 91st career singles victory, and the win gave Bucknell the win over a strong Quinnipiac squad that gave the Bison trouble in the fall tournaments.
Bucknell won the doubles point with 8-4 wins at No. 1 and No. 3. Sanburg and Anton Kovic (Montreal, Quebec/Milton Academy (Mass.)) defeated Brian Mikkelson and James Kwei at first doubles, while Zach Hascoe (Greenwich, Conn./Brunswick) and Mark Malloy (Bronxville, N.Y./Hackley School) beat Tuckerman and Joe Nuara at No. 3.
Sandburg returned to Court 1 to defeat John Hughes 6-4, 6-3 in singles play. Quinnipiac won at 2, 3 and 4 -- all in tiebreakers -- but the bottom of the Bison lineup came up big. Malloy outfought Charlie Feldman 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5, setting the stage for Bednarek's clutch win at No. 6.
"The guys battled hard in every match," said head coach Rebecca Helt. "The quality of the matches was very high for the first match of the year. The team effort was the key to this impressive win over a very good Quinnipiac team."
The Bison return to action next weekend in Pittsburgh, taking on Duquesne on Saturday and Robert Morris on Sunday.
Doubles (best 2 of 3 for one team point):
1. Anton Kovic/Ryan Sandburg (B) def. Brian Mikkelson/James Kwei, 8-4
2. John Hughes/Charlie Feldman (Q) def. Jon Brenner/Gregg Cohenca, 9-8 (3)
3. Zach Hascoe/Mark Malloy (B) def. Zach Tuckerman/Joe Nuara, 8-4
Singles:
1. Sandburg (B) def. Hughes, 6-4, 6-3
2. Mikkelson (Q) def. Hascoe, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
3. Garrett Lane (Q) def. Brenner, 6-3, 4-6, (10-2)
4. Kwei (Q) def. Cohenca, 6-1, 4-6, (10-8)
5. Malloy (B) def. Feldman, 6-4, 6-4
6. Bednarek (B) def. Tuckerman, 6-4, 6-4
