KUTZTOWN, Pa. (April 14, 2011) – The Kutztown University men's tennis team defeated Bloomsburg University, 6-3, to finish another dominant run through the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) regular season Thursday afternoon at Keystone Tennis Courts.
With the victory, the Golden Bears (10-3 overall, 5-0 PSAC) clinched the No. 1 seed next week at the PSAC championships at Bloomsburg. Kutztown will square off against fourth-seeded Mercyhurst College when postseason play commences Thursday afternoon at Bloomsburg beginning at 3 p.m. Second seeded Bloomsburg will meet third seeded Millersville in the other semifinal match.
Cameron O'Donnell (Allentown, PA/Parkland)'s clutch win at sixth singles helped the Golden Bears secure another regular season crown.
“I didn't play doubles so when I started the singles match, I was real tentative in the beginning,” O'Donnell said. “I came out really slow, but towards the end of the second set, I started to find my groove and gaining confidence that I would come out on top.”
O'Donnell's performance epitomized the heart and desire displayed by the KU tennis squad. The Golden Bears overcame deficits throughout the match to hand Bloomsburg its first conference loss of the season. Kutztown lost two of the three doubles matches.
Even in the match that Juan Gutierrez (San Jose, Costa Rica/SEK International School) and Rushi Amin (Orefield, PA/Lake Brantley) claimed at No. 3 doubles featured an improbable rally. Trailing 4-1, Gutierrez and Amin scored the next seven points to claim an 8-4 win and helped ease the pressure of the intense singles matches. The match also marked the tennis debut of Joel Irwin, who played at second doubles. Irwin was a first team All-PSAC football player who helped the Golden Bears win a school record 10 games in the fall.
In the singles matches, Arijit Goswami (Kolkata, India/LSA Kolkata), Amin, and Andrew Zhu (Toronto, ON/Northview) were straight set winners for the Golden Bears. The other three matches featured plenty of drama and sweat. Gutierrez triumphed at second singles in three tough sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. That helped balance Kaushik Das (Guwahati, Assam/National Open School)' setback to Ricky Dove at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.
O'Donnell's revival was a pleasant sight for the Golden Bears. His victory tipped the match in Kutztown's favor. After losing the first set 6-2, O'Donnell trailed, 5-2, in the second set tiebreaker. Something kicked in for O'Donnell and he ripped off the next five points to win the second set, 7-6, force a third set and dominate for a 6-2 decision.
“He lost the first set pretty badly,” KU coach Suresh Ramamurthi said. “He was struggling a bit in the second set, but he fought through it and battled back. After he won the second set tiebreaker, he took charge and closed out the match. This win puts us in a good position for the PSAC playoffs. Anybody can win it and I believe it's going to be an exciting championship.”
Kutztown is ranked fourth in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional rankings behind Shaw, West Virginia Wesleyan, and Bluefield State. The Golden Bears are scheduled to face Bluefield State and West Virginia Wesleyan Saturday and Sunday at Bloomsburg University.
Singles
1. Ricky Dove (BLOOM-M) def. Kaushik Das (Guwahati, Assam/National Open School) (KUTZM) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
2. Juan Gutierrez (San Jose, Costa Rica/SEK International School) (KUTZM) def. Mark Schroeder (BLOOM-M) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
3. Arijit Goswami (Kolkata, India/LSA Kolkata) (KUTZM) def. Jeff Nuhfer (BLOOM-M) 6-2, 6-2
4. Rushi Amin (Orefield, PA/Lake Brantley) (KUTZM) def. Lee Wexler (BLOOM-M) 6-3, 6-3
5. Andrew Zhu (Toronto, ON/Northview) (KUTZM) def. Jack McClurkin (BLOOM-M) 6-0, 6-3
6. Cameron O'Donnell (Allentown, PA/Parkland) (KUTZM) def. Tyler Pultro (BLOOM-M) 2-6, 7-6, 6-2
Doubles
1. Ricky Dove/Mark Schroeder (BLOOM-M) def. Kaushik Das (Guwahati, Assam/National Open School)/Arijit Goswami (Kolkata, India/LSA Kolkata) (KUTZM) 8-6
2. Jack McClurkin/Tyler Pultro (BLOOM-M) def. Andrew Zhu (Toronto, ON/Northview)/Joel Irwin (KUTZM) 8-5
3. Juan Gutierrez (San Jose, Costa Rica/SEK International School)/Rushi Amin (Orefield, PA/Lake Brantley) (KUTZM) def. Alan Hummel/Jeff Nuhfer (BLOOM-M) 8-4
Social Media Alert: The Kutztown University Athletic Department would like to remind Golden Bear fans and followers there are many ways they can follow their favorite team. One can follow the Golden Bears via Facebook, SMS messages and weekly newsletters. One can also check out the photo galleries.
The Facebook page is a good opportunities for Kutztown fans to be updated through the social media. It is also a great chance for fans to show their support with comments and interaction.
Become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kutztown-University-Athletics/24879209924
SMS messages are a good way to get Kutztown news no matter where one is located. One can sign up to get news from any or every sport at Kutztown. Fans will receive final scores as well as special awards and honors earned by Golden Bear teams and student- athletes. Sign up at http://www.kubears.com/member/sms_signup.aspx.
You can also get a weekly newsletter of Kutztown highlights delivered straight to your inbox by signing up at http://www.kubears.com/subscribe.aspx
Photos are available through photo galleries from the last two years at Kutztown. Simply go to http://www.kubears.com/photo_gallery.aspx and choose which sport one would like to view. Galleries are broken down by sports, seasons and games.
The Kutztown University sports information department hopes that everyone has enjoyed all of the new ways to keep up with their favorite team. The SID department hopes people will continue to take advantage of the great resources available.
