March 14, 2002

NEW YORK (www.lafayette.edu) - The Leopard men's tennis team fought back to win a 4-3 match versus the Rams of Fordham University on Thursday in New York City.

The Leopards swept the top two singles spots as freshman Matt Coin (Wenonah, N.J./Gateway) and junior H'Cone Thompson (Washington, D.C./DeMatha) defeated Fordham's Chris Kelly and Mark Carducci. Coin fought back after losing the second set to win 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 while Thompson won in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.

Sophomore Devin Murphy (Ruxton, Md./Boys Latin School) beat the Rams' Josh Krieg in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 for Lafayette's third singles win at the No. 4 spot. Junior Ryan Collins (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional), senior co-captain Mike Levey (Pine Brook, N.J./Montville) and freshman John Zazzu (Belle Mead, N.J./Montgomery) weren't as lucky as they each fell in straight sets at Nos. 3, 5, and 6 singles.

With the match on the line, the teams headed into the doubles competition with Coin/Thompson defeating Carducci/Andrew Salak at the No. 1 spot (8-5) and Murphy/Brian Schubert beating Fordham's Krieg/Smalley at the No. 3 spot (8-5) for the team win. Collins/Zazzu fell at No. 2 doubles to Kelley/Jay Himmelstein, 8-4.

Lafayette returns to action when it takes on archrival Lehigh in a Patriot League matchup on Monday at Sullivan Courts.

Singles:
#1  Matt Coin (LC)          def.    Chris Kelly (Ford.) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2#2  H'Cone Thompson (LC)   def.    Mark Carducci (Ford.)   6-4, 7-5#3  Andrew Salak (Ford.)    def.    Ryan Collins (LC)    6-0, 6-1#4  Devin Murphy (LC)    def.    Josh Krieg (Ford.)  6-4, 1-6, 6-2#5  Jay Himmelstein (Ford.) def.    John Zazzu (LC)            6-1, 6-2#6  Nick Smalley (Ford.)    def.    Mike Levey (LC)            6-3, 6-2
Doubles:
#1  Coin/Thompson (LC)          def.    Carducci/Salak (Ford.)  8-5#2  Kelly/Himmelstein           def.    Collins/Zazzu (LC)  8-4#3  Murphy/Brian Schubert (LC)  def.    Krieg/Smalley (Ford.)   8-5