NO. 17 SAINTS RALLY PAST

NO. 19 HAMILTON, 5-4

April 22: The No. 17 St. Lawrence University women’s tennis team battled through the absence of No. 1 singles player Kirsten Lannon to defeat No. 19 Hamilton College 5-4 in a non-conference dual-match on Tuesday evening in Clinton, NY. The Saints (12-3) picked up an important pair of wins from rookie Paige Cohen, and received solid play from co-captains Teresa Rodriguez and Liz Ronty.

The Continentals (5-10) took a 2-1 lead after the doubles portion of the match, with their No. 1 and 2 teams winning. Kara and Marni Powers edged out a 9-7 win over first year student Stephanie Finn and sophomore Casey Gilman at the top spot, while Ashley Pardoe and Laura Brantley defeated sophomore Chelsea Hubbell and Rodriguez 8-5.

Cohen and Ronty would provide St. Lawrence’s first point of the match with a hard-fought 8-5 victory over Caroline Greenberg and Maile Thayer at the No. 3 doubles slot.

Having cut the deficit in half, the Saints took the momentum into singles play where they rattled off four wins in six matches to steal the 5-4 victory. Finn earned some redemption with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles over Kara Powers, while Hubbell knocked off Marni Powers in straight sets (6-4, 7-5) at the No. 4 spot.

Hamilton picked up wins at the No. 2 and 5 slots, where Barany came from behind to defeat Gilman 6-7 (4), 6-4,

6-3 and Pardoe beat rookie Mackenzie Hall 6-2, 6-3 to get the home team to within one point of the victory.

Rodriguez, playing up a spot due to Lannon’s absence, came through in the clutch for the Scarlet and Brown at the No. 3 position where she handed Brantley in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. That put the final point in the hands of Cohen, and the Liberty League’s reigning “Co-Rookie of the Week” did not disappoint. The Pittsburgh, PA native came held off Julia Houlden for a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 win that gave St. Lawrence the non-conference triumph.

St. Lawrence will look to carry their momentum into the 2008 Liberty League Championship Tournament, which begins on Saturday, April 26 hosted by William Smith College.

COHEN AND FINN LEAD NO. 17 SAINTS

TO 7-2 WIN OVER UNION

April 20: The St. Lawrence University women’s tennis team, ranked 17 th in the ITA Northeast poll, picked up a 7-2 Liberty League victory on Sunday against Union College. First year students Paige Cohen and Stephanie Finn were key as both won each of their two matches against the Dutchwomen.

St. Lawrence (11-3) carried a 2-1 lead into singles play after winning at No. 2 and 3 doubles. Finn, alongside sophomore partner Casey Gilman, defeated Roni Brumberger and Kathleen Rucci 8-1, while sophomore co-captain Liz Ronty joined with Cohen in defeating Lyndsay Wehrum and Libby Johnson by the same margin of 8-1.

Union’s (2-7) lone point in doubles play came at the top-slot, where Hallie Mabrey and Jessica Meola held off senior Kirsten Lannon and sophomore Chelsea Hubbell 8-4.

The visiting Saints showed their depth in singles play, winning five matches to earn a decisive victory. Finn came through with a 6-2, 6-1 win against Brumberger at No. 2, while Gilman rallied for a 4-6, 6-2, 10-3 win against Rucci.

Hubbell, rookie Mackenzie Hall and Cohen then followed with straight set wins in the No. 4, 5 and 6 positions against Meola, Wehrum and Johnson, respectively.

Mabrey earned the only singles point for the Dutchwomen with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph at the No. 1 singles position over Lannon.

St. Lawrence’s final regular season dual-match will take place on Tuesday, April 22 in Clinton, NY against the Hamilton College Continentals at 4:00pm. The Saints will then head to Geneva, NY for the 2008 Liberty League Championship Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27.