Kohler Spring Trip Success Secures CACC Player and Rookie of the Week Awards
New Haven, Conn. - (3/8/2016) – The Chestnut Hill College men’s tennis team continued their spring season in Orlando, Florida, alongside the women, with matches opposite Florida Southern College (March 1), the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) (March 2), and #31 Palm Beach Atlantic University (March 3). Freshman Pierre Kohler (Les Sables d'Olonne, France) went 2-1 in singles play to earn his second straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Rookie of the Week title.
The Chestnut Hill College men's and women's tennis teams continued their spring trip competition with an evening dual match at Florida Southern College. In a staggered start, the Moccasins won the earlier scheduled women's match by an 8-1 final before claiming the men's match by the same final, 8-1, just 45 minutes later. Respectively, senior Axe Owens (Trenton, N.J.) and Kohler accounted for the Griffins two points with individual victories. Chestnut Hill College did not fare any better on the men's side where only Kohler triumphed, doing so at number two singles, 6-4, 6-3. Florida Southern College (4-2) took the doubles matches in order, 8-3 (#1), 8-2 (#2), and 8-3 (#3), before singles wins at number one singles, 6-1, 6-3, and number four singles, 6-1, 7-5, left the Moccasins up 5-0. Kohler's 6-4, 6-3, win at number two singles broke up the shutout as home wins followed at number three singles, 3-6, 6-2, 10-4, number six singles, 6-1, 6-1, and number five singles, 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.
On Wednesday, March 2, Chestnut Hill College's only solace of the afternoon came in the second individual flight, where Kohler continued to shine with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over FIT sophomore Ricardo Corona Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico). Regrettably, the Panthers won all points before and after Kohler's victory to earn an 8-1 win over the Griffins.
After losing all three doubles matches on Thursday, March 3, Chestnut Hill College nearly changed the course of the afternoon match at #31 Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU) with three of the first four singles points. Unfortunately, the Sailfish secured a 6-3 victory with marathon wins at number one, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, and number three singles, 6-7, 6-3, 10-7. PBAU (4-2) controlled the opening round of doubles, winning number two and number one doubles 8-2 before sweeping with an 8-5 triumph at number three doubles, 3-0. Freshman Lucas Abe (Duderstadt, Germany) scored the first point for Chestnut Hill College (3-4) with his 6-3, 6-3, win at number five singles, 3-1. His victory was followed by a 6-2, 6-3, number two singles win by sophomore Jonathan Ducretot (Antibes, France), 3-2, before a 7-5, 6-3, number six singles score left the Panthers ahead 4-2. A number four singles victory from senior Henry Boyle (London, England), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, brought the Griffins back within one, 4-3, and pushed the decision to the number one doubles flight. There, Kohler served as the victim of circumstance, winning the middle set in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 epic with senior Nicholas Uryson (Buenos Aires, Argentina), 5-3. The Panthers added their sixth point with the conclusion of number three singles, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3.
The men's tennis team now returns to the familiar surroundings of the Chestnut Hill College courts to host Gwynedd Mercy University in a 4:00 p.m. match on Thursday, March 24.
