SATKOWSKI ANCHORS SAINTS TO

NARROW WIN OVER ITHACA

Mar. 2: Junior co-captain Jon Satkowski posted victories in both his singles and doubles matches on Sunday, while first year student Will Cook clinched the decisive point at No. 6 singles as the St. Lawrence University men’s tennis team improved to 3-1 on the season with a tight 5-4 victory over No. 18 Ithaca College in the Newell Field House.

The Saints, who played at home for the first time this season, defeated the Bombers 5-4 in the opening match of the season at the Flower City Invitational, though it was in a much different manner. This time around, the Saints won the doubles round with two victories and etched out three wins in the singles matches to knock off Ithaca.

Satkowski and sophomore partner Chris McDonald earned a tough point against Ithaca’s Danny Wolk and Taylor Borda, 8-6, at No. 1 doubles. Though the visitors would answer with a win at No. 2 doubles as Alex Stoler and Josh Rifkin defeated junior Pete Abernethy and senior Amin Danai 8-1, St. Lawrence earned a

2-1 lead heading into singles play when sophomores Chris Rodilosso and Christopher Tamm held off Liam Berkowitz and Jeff Buffum, 8-5.

Satkowski continued his impressive play in the singles round as well, as he controlled his No. 1 singles match against Borda, winning 6-3, 6-2. Though first year student Ryan Gillard followed Satkowski’s lead with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Berkowitz at No. 4 singles, Ithaca rallied with wins at No’s 2, 3 and 5 singles to pull even with the Scarlet and Brown.

Stoler knocked off Abernethy at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, while Rifkin downed McDonald 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3. Wolk then pulled the Bombers even at 4-4 with a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Rodilosso at the No. 5 slot.

Cook, who posted a perfect 3-0 record in dual-matches in the fall, never flinched for the Saints, racking up a thorough 6-1, 6-3 win over Buffum in the final singles match to lock up the 5-4 triumph.

“I was concerned about our doubles play as we had dropped two doubles matches to Ithaca in the fall, but winning two out of the three today proved to be key for us,” explained St. Lawrence head coach Jeremy Freeman. “ Ithaca is a strong team and we’ll certainly take the hard fought win.”

St. Lawrence will have a few weeks off from competition before returning to action on Tuesday, March 18 against Mississippi College. The match will take place in Hilton Head, SC during the Saints’ spring trip.