Results

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Bethel University men's tennis team suffered a setback on Wednesday evening as they dropped a tight match at Macalester College.  The 3-6 defeat snapped an eight-match winning streak for the Royals who continue to fight for a spot in the MIAC postseason.
 
"It was a heartbreaking loss because we really thought we had a great shot at winning the match today but we just have to let that one go and focus on the matches ahead," said head coach Drew Fernelius.
 
The Royals fell into an early 1-2 deficit following the doubles portion of the competition despite winning at least six games in all three matches.  The No. 2 team of Brett Lizotte and Kolin Kiekhoefer captured the first point of the day for Bethel as they notched an 8-4 victory to get the Royals on the board.  Macalester then rallied to close out the two remaining doubles matches, winning by a score of 8-6 on both the No. 1 and No. 3 courts.
 
Kiekhoefer continued his success in singles play as he delivered one of two straight-set victories for the Royals, the other belonging to Hunter Fernelius.  However, Macalester triumphed in the four remaining singles matches which included Joshua Doyle's three-set win over Matt Schull in the No. 1 position.
 
Notwithstanding Wednesday's defeat, the Royals will have a golden opportunity to rebound this weekend as they take on two of the top teams in the conference on their home court.  They will face St. Thomas on Saturday followed by St. Johns on Sunday as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive.  Fans can catch all the action at the Ona Orth Athletic Complex starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 4:30 on Sunday.