Gophers Come Back After Dropping Two Doubles Matches

Hemelt, Csete Initiate Rally with Straight-Set Wins in Singles Play

TOWSON, Md. — Down 2-1 at the conclusion of doubles play, Goucher came back to win five of the six singles matches to earn a 6-3 victory over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in a Landmark Conference match played this afternoon.

Dave Hemelt (Carney, Md./Loch Raven) and Daniel Csete (Miami, Fla./Brewster Academy) were the winners in the first two singles matches to wrap up, giving the Gophers (1-5, 1-2 Landmark) a 3-2 advantage in the match. Hemelt defeated Richard Hine 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 and Csete turned back Steve Ficken 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4.

Freshman David Spivey (Brooklandville, Md./Park School of Baltimore) followed with the first triumph in singles competition of his young career, a convincing 6-1, 6-1 win over Biondi Phua at No. 2 that left head coach Michael Vann's squad needing to win just one of the remaining three matches.

It didn't happen at No. 1 where Jeff Gulitus came out on top against Steve Baum (Fallston, Md./Fallston) 7-5, 6-3, but the match belonged to Goucher when Billie Weiss (Lutherville, Md./Dulaney) came back from being down a set to knock off Cesar Pinilla 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 at No. 3.

Seth Manfield (Bethesda, Md./Emerson Prep) picked up his first singles win of the season by earning a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 decision over Christine O'Toole at No. 6.

The Mariners (1-5, 0-3 Landmark) picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 2 during doubles play, but Csete and Hemelt kept the Gophers from being down 3-0 heading into the singles competition by downing Ficken and Emanuel Tishler, 8-4, at No. 3.

This is only the second time during Vann's tenure as head coach at Goucher that the Gophers came back to win a match without having the lead at the start of singles play. The other was a 5-4 triumph over McDaniel on Oct. 6, 2009.