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West Windsor, NJ -- Today was the story of a longtime power solidifying its place among the all-time greats and a program driven to make history for the first time.
On a gorgeous Championship Sunday at Mercer County Park in West Windsor, NJ, the top-seeded LIU women and St. Francis Brooklyn men scored statement victories and headed home with a shiny conference trophy as their prize and an NCAA date in their future. The Sharks downed second-seeded Sacred Heart, 4-0, while the Terriers claimed a 4-2 victory fellow second-seed FDU. The Tournament took place for the 22nd straight year at the award winning Mercer County tennis facility.
For LIU, it marked a reclaiming of the throne, so to speak, and sparked talk of a dynasty.
After winning the title four straight years, the Sharks unexpectedly went down in last year's semis. This year, they left no doubt, taking hold of the match from the start and turning up the pressure on the Pioneers.
LIU took the doubles points with easy wins at the #2 and #3 flights, then saw the top half of their order take control. NEC Tournament MVP Victoria Erechtchenko started the ball rolling with a 6-1, 6-1 win at #1 singles and was followed by Saki Oyama, who posted a 6-3, 6-4 triumph at the #3 position. With a number of battles going on in the lower half of the singles order, Leo Boisseau took matters into her own hands, closing things out in a tiebreaker to win 6-2, 7-6 (4).
The title was the seventh in the program's storied NEC tennis history, tying the Sharks with Mount St. Mary's for the most in league annals. The Mount won seven in a row from 1989-95. The win also vaulted LIU ahead of FDU and Quinnipiac, each of whom captured six championships.
Looking to earn its first-ever NEC crown, the St. Francis Brooklyn men nearly reached the summit for the first time in 2021, dropping a 4-3 decision to FDU in an all-time classic.
When both teams emerged victorious yesterday afternoon, the stage was set for the long anticipated rematch, and it did not disappoint.
It was a highly charged affair to say the least with the Terriers striking the first blow with dominant performances at #1 and #3 doubles to take the initial point into singles play.
From there, we saw four of the six matches extend to three sets, with a number of momentum swings throughout the contest.
FDU started out hot, taking the first two singles points at #3 and #4 singles when SFBK players retired near the end of the second set in both matches. Teodors Pukse won, 6-2, 5-0, and Arjun Sriram won, 6-2, 4-0.
SFBK's Leon Harder drew the Terriers level with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 win at #5 singles.
Jan Godfrey Seno, the Terriers' top player, then fended off FDU star Justas Trainauskas at #1 singles, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to bring SFBK within one point of the title.
With SFBK's Assil Boussayri and FDU's Mehdi Dhouib engaged in an extedned three-set battle at the #2 spot, all eyes turned to the #6 flight match between the Terriers' Luis Foix Sotos and FDU's Younas Adnane.
After splitting the first two sets, Foix Sotos pulled away in the third, clinching the championship for SFBK with his 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 victory. He was named NEC Tournament MVP for his efforts.
The first-time title win for the Terriers culminated a successful three days in West Windsor that saw the SFBK women also claim their first-ever NEC Tournament victory in Friday's quarterfinals.
LIU and SFBK will now go on to represent the NEC in the upcoming NCAA Championships in May.
NEC Women's All-Tournament Team
Victoria Erechtchenko, LIU (MVP)
Leo Boisseau, LIU
Saki Oyama, LIU
Vitalina Golod, SHU
Katsiaryna Starastsenka, SHU
Namie Isago, FDU
Valentine Mudry, SFBK
NEC Men's All-Tournament Team
Luis Foix Sotos, SFBK (MVP)
Jan Godfrey Seno, SFBK
Leon Harder, SFBK
Mehdi Dhouib, FDU
Arjun Sriram, FDU
Gui Medeiros, LIU
Alberto Mello, SHU
2023 Northeast Conference Tennis Championships
at Mercer County Tennis Center
West Windsor, NJ
Friday, April 14
Men's First Round
#2 FDU def. #7 Saint Francis U, 4-0
#3 Sacred Heart def. #6 Merrimack, 4-0
#4 LIU def. #5 Wagner, 4-0
Women’s First Round
#2 Sacred Heart def. #7 Wagner, 4-0
#3 FDU def. #6 Merrimack. 4-0
#5 St. Francis Brooklyn def. #4 Saint Francis U, 4-0
Saturday, April 15
Men’s Semifinal Matches
#1 St. Francis Brooklyn def. #4 LIU, 4-2
#2 FDU def. #3 Sacred Heart, 4-0
Women’s Semifinal Matches
#1 LIU def. #4 St. Francis Brooklyn, 4-0
#2 Sacred Heart def. #3 FDU, 4-0
Sunday, April 16
Men’s Championship Match
#1 St. Francis Brooklyn def. #2 FDU, 4-2
Women’s Championship Match
#1 LIU def. #2 Sacred Heart, 4-0