Michigan
Penn State
Michigan Upset by Penn State in Big Ten Road Match
4/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The No. 39 University of Michigan men's tennis team was upset by No. 57 Penn State by a score of 5-2 Friday afternoon (April 21) at the Sarni Tennis Center. The Wolverines (11-10, 5-4 Big Ten) won the doubles point but managed just one victory in singles action en route to their third straight loss in Big Ten Conference play. It was just U-M's third loss in the last nine meetings with the Nittany Lions (14-5, 4-5 Big Ten), who broke a three-match losing skid of their own with the upset win.
With sophomore Matko Maravic (Zagreb, Croatia/V. Gimnazija) nursing a sore back, head coach Bruce Berque made some slight adjustments to Michigan's doubles lineup. Berque mixed youth with experience at the bottom two positions, resulting in junior Brian Hung (Hong Kong, China/Sagemont Virtual School) and freshman Peter Aarts (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane HS) dropping an 8-4 decision to Ryan Berger and Bradley Hunter at No. 2, and Maravic and freshman Scott Bruckmann (Sarasota, Fla./Saint Stephens Episcopal School) teaming together for an 8-5 triumph over James Dwyer and Malcolm Scatliffe at No. 3. It was the first career matches for both Wolverine tandems.
Junior Ryan Heller (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North HS) and freshman Andrew Mazlin (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) moved up to No. 1 and came up with a clutch victory over Mark Barry and Adam Slagter to clinch the doubles point for Michigan. Heller and Mazlin withstood three match points, as they battled back from a 6-3 deficit in the tiebreaker to steal a 9-8(7) win.
With the 39th-ranked Maravic absent from the singles lineup for the first time in his two-year career, Berque moved each of his players up one position. Penn State used straight-set wins at Nos. 5 and 6 to take a 2-1 advantage. Mazlin, however, swung the momentum back into Michigan's favor with a 7-6(10), 6-1 victory over Berger at No. 3.
Unfortunately, Mazlin's triumph would be U-M's last bright spot of the day. Heller dropped a tough match in his career debut at No. 1 to the 88th-ranked Barry, while junior Steve Peretz (Brooklyn, N.Y./The Dwight School) and Hung could not hold on after each claimed the first set at Nos. 4 and 2, respectively.
The Wolverines close out the regular season on Sunday (April 23) at Indiana. The match is scheduled for noon start at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington, Ind.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #88 Mark Barry (PSU) d. Ryan Heller, 7-6(11), 6-2
No. 2 -- Malcolm Scatliffe (PSU) d. Brian Hung, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 -- Andrew Mazlin (U-M) d. Ryan Berger, 7-6(10), 6-1
No. 4 -- Michael James (PSU) d. Steve Peretz, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 -- Adam Slagter (PSU) d. Peter Aarts, 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 -- Bradley Hunter (PSU) d. Scott Bruckmann, 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 -- Heller/Mazlin (U-M) d. Barry/Slagter, 9-8(7)
No. 2 -- Berger/Hunter (PSU) d. Aarts/Hung, 8-4
No. 3 -- Bruckmann/Matko Maravic (U-M) d. James Dwyer/Scatliffe, 8-5
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-3-1, Singles 5-6-3-1-4-2
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
