HOW SWEET IT IS: Gophers Capture Sixth Landmark Men's Tennis Crown
May 5, 2024
HERSHEY, Pa. - The top-seeded Goucher College men's tennis team earned the sixth Landmark Conference championship in program history with a 5-2 win over No. 2 seed Drew University Sunday at the Hershey Racquet Club. The Gophers (14-8) earn the Landmark's automatic qualification into next weekend's NCAA Championship.
First year Unai Laguardia Alvarez was named tournament MVP after clinching the match at No. 1 singles with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win.
- Goucher led Drew (14-7) 2-1 after doubles.
- Alvarez and Tadeo Asprella were 8-4 winners at No. 3.
- At No. 1, Gabe Naftoly and Calis Nguyen also won by an 8-4 score.
- In an epic second singles match, Angel Cerpa and Benedikt Rummel fell in a back-and-forth tiebreaker 8-7 (12-10).
- Cerpa bounced back to earn Goucher's first singles point with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 4.
- Naftoly moved the Gophers within one point of clinching with a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 2
- Asprella dropped a three-set decision at No. 3 (2-6, 6-1, 6-3) to move the Rangers within 4-2.
- Laguardia Alvarez clinched the match with a three-set win of his own, bouncing back from a second-set loss to win 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.
- Goucher led both of the unfinished matches.
- At No. 5, Nguyen led 6-1 after the first set, while Rummel led 6-1 at No. 6 singles.
- Goucher wins its sixth Landmark Conference tournament title and second in the last three seasons. The Gophers won four in a row from 2016-19 and prevailed again in 2022.
- Goucher improved to 6-2 all-time in Landmark finals.
- The Gophers and Drew have met in the last three finals. Goucher won 5-4 in 2022, while the Rangers were 5-2 winners in 2023. Both previous title matches occured indoors at Drew's Simon Forum.
- Goucher has won seven in a row and 10 of its last 11.
- Cerpa won his sixth singles match in a row, while Naftoly (4) and Laguardia Alvarez (3) also extended win singles streaks.
- Laguardia Alvarez and Asprella have won seven in a row in doubles, while Nguyen and Naftoly have won four straight.
- Goucher's 14 wins are its most since going 18-6 in 2019.
- Goucher will learn its next opponent on Monday at 12:30 Eastern when the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis selection show airs on NCAA.com.
- The Gophers, who have appeared in the NCAA regional rankings in all three rankings, will be making the sixth NCAA appearance in program history.