Feb. 16, 2008
SEATTLE, Wash. – In the second round of the consolation bracket at the 2008 ITA National Team Indoor Championship, the Notre Dame men’s tennis squad matched up against No. 16 Penn State and earned its second win against the Nittany Lions this season as the Irish took the win, 4-2. The win moves the Irish on to meet No. 12 North Carolina in the final round of the consolation bracket.
The Irish gave up the doubles point to go down 0-1 early off in the match. The duo of Brett Helgeson and Sheeva Parbhu were defeated by Adam Slagter and Eddie Bourchier of Penn State, 8-5. The next loss came to Tyler Davis and Santiago Montoya as the pair of Michael James and Brendan Lynch won 8-4 to secure the doubles point.
Notre Dame would come roaring back though to take the win. The first three singles matches to finish up went to the Irish with Stephen Havens taking the first victory in the No. 4 spot after Bourchier retired the match. The second win came with a win from Dan Stahl in the No. 6 spot. He cruised past Jake Toole, 6-2, 6-2, to put the Irish up, 2-1.
The third Irish point was won by No. 11 Brett Helgeson as he played on court one. Helgeson took down No. 51 James 6-1, 6-4. The next point would go to the Nittany Lions with Andrew Roth being defeated by Lynch, 6-2, 6-3.
The match would end in the way of Notre Dame though with the fourth point and matching declaring win going to Sheeva Parbhu. The senior defeated Slagter, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, to earn the Notre Dame team victory.
The Irish defeated the Nittany Lions earlier in the dual season, 5-2, in the season opener at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. Notre Dame now holds a 2-1-1 record against Penn State with the two wins this year.
–ND–