ST. PETER, Minn. – Bethel University's men's tennis run came to a close Thursday in St. Peter, as the Royals (17-6) fell to No. 1-seeded Gustavus Adolphus College 9-0 in the semifinal round of the 2017 MIAC Playoffs.
 
Despite being shutout against the No. 21-ranked Gusties (23-8) Bethel managed to put forth a very competitive effort. BU dropped their match at No. 1 doubles—ending the 15-match win streak—by a final score of 8-4 before No. 3 doubles lost 8-5 and No. 2 doubles fell 8-6. That result was an improvement from earlier this season when the Royals lost 8-3, 8-4, and 8-2 at No. 1, 2, and 3 doubles, respectively.  
 
Bethel's top two singles players Matt Schull and Kolin Kiefhoefer nearly took their head-to-head matchup with GAC to a third set, but fell just short in the end. Schull ended his prolific career with a 6-0, 7-6 loss at No. 1 singles, while Kiekhoefer capped his unforgettable season with a 6-0, 6-4 loss at No. 2 singles.
 
Hunter Fernelius fell at No. 3 singles by matching scores of 6-2, 6-2 and Jakob Bartels dropped his match at No. 4 singles 6-3, 6-1. Noah Ridway was unable to record a point and Henry Morris was defeated 6-1, 6-1.
 
The Royals' 2017 season comes to a close after making the program's first MIAC Playoff appearance since 2014 and hosting their first postseason match since 2010. Bethel finished the year with an 18-6 record with a 6-3 record in conference play, the best since 2009.