Stowe, VT - In a match played at the Topnotch Tennis Center, the Northern Vermont University-Lyndon men's tennis team came away with an 8-1 victory over North Atlantic Conference pre-season favorite Thomas College on Saturday afternoon.  The win was Lyndon's first over the Terriers, the 2019 NAC champions, since April of 2011.  Lyndon improves to 1-1 on the season and in conference play, while Thomas falls to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in conference.

The Hornets jumped out to an early lead in the match, as the Terriers forfeited sixth singles and third doubles.  Lyndon also won the other two doubles matches in hard fought fashion.  The Hornet #1 team of Patrick Wickstrom (Lafayette, LA) and Neal Mulligan (Marshfield, VT) downed the Thomas pairing of Jose Afonso and Princiel Kunieki, 8-6.  Lyndon's second doubles team of Quinlan Peer (Saranac Lake, NY) and Zach Falkenburg (Bridgeport, NY) also recorded an 8-6 win, defeating the Thomas duo of Jason Hamilton and Liam Gould.

With the Hornets taking a 4-0 lead into singles play, Afonso kept Thomas in the match with a straight set win over Wickstrom at first singles.  However Garrick Webster (Terryville, CT) clinched the win for the Hornets with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Rajhan Munnings at fifth singles.  Mulligan won his second singles matchup over Gould in two closely contested sets, 7-5, 6-4.

With the match decided, third and fourth singles were shortened to tiebreakers.  Falkenburg took the third singles match over Kunieki, 1-0(10-5), 1-0(10-8) and Peer defeated Hamilton at fourth singles, 0-1(8-10), 1-0(12-10), 1-0(13-11).

Full results were as follows:

Doubles

1. Patrick Wickstrom & Neal Mulligan (LYN) def. Jose Afonso & Princiel Kunieki (THO) 8-6
2. Quinlan Peer & Zach Falkenburg (LYN) def. Jason Hamilton & Liam Gould (THO) 8-6
3. Garrick Webster & James Salvas (Morrisville, VT) (LYN) win by forfeit

Singles

1. Jose Afonso (THO) def. Patrick Wickstrom (LYN) 6-0, 6-1
2. Neal Mulligan (LYN) def. Liam Gould (THO) 7-5, 6-4
3. Zach Falkenburg (LYN) def. Princiel Kunieki (THO) 1-0(10-5), 1-0(10-8)
4. Quinlan Peer (LYN) def. Jason Hamilton (THO) 0-1(8-10), 1-0(12-10), 1-0(13-11)
5. Garrick Webster (LYN) def. Rajhan Munnings 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
6. James Salvas (LYN) win by forfeit

The Hornets will travel to Norwich University for a non-conference matchup on Thursday afternoon.  Play will begin at 4:00 pm.