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SEATTLE, Wash. — Down 3-0 in the third set with his team tied 3-3 in the dual, senior
Wil Cochrane mounted a dramatic comeback to lead the Vikings to a program-record fifth straight win Friday, as the Vikings beat Seattle 4-3 at the Tennis Center at Sand Point.
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The Vikings (5-1) have now won five straight matches since a season-opening loss to the University of Portland, a streak that includes two wins over a Seattle team that beat the Vikings in each of the past two seasons.
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The Vikings' five wins also already rank tied for the fourth-best single-season win total in program history with the 2016 dual season not even a month old.
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"The team as a whole played fierce. We were on the road and Seattle U came out with a lot of energy," PSU head coach
Toby Krauel said after the match. "Wil's opponent was out of gas and started to cramp. Wil showed great poise in focusing on his game and executing his game plan under immense pressure.
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"It's a great road win that will help as we go on the road to Spokane next weekend for two strong opponents."
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The Vikings were playing outside of the Portland area for the first time this season, and found themselves down early as Seattle (0-9) claimed the doubles point with wins at lines two and three.
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Junior
Ethan Lopez came back with a quick 6-4, 6-2 win over Seattle's Tanner Berkabile at line four to level the dual again, while fellow junior
Scott Goldner followed shortly after with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Seattle's John Stormans at line two.
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Goldner's win gave the Vikings a 2-1 lead in the dual, but Seattle charged back with wins at lines three and six to go up 3-2.
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The match then fell to the matches at lines one and five, both of which were entering third sets. Sophomore
Nathan Boniel lost the second set of his match at line one to go into a third set against Seattle's Ian Clare, but took control early on in the third set to claim a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win.
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Boniel's win left it all to Cochrane at line five, where Cochrane had broken at 6-5 in the second set to send his match against Seattle's Matt Alderson to a third. Alderson broke twice to go up 3-0 in the third set, however, and still led by a break at 4-2 in the third set before Cochrane won the final four games to claim the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
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Friday's win continues a string of promising early season results for the Vikings in 2016. The Vikings' win over the Redhawks came in the team's first 4-3 match of the season, a year after the Vikings' 1-4 record in 4-3 matches likely kept the Vikings out of the Big Sky tournament. Additionally, Friday's win marked the first time the Vikings had pulled out a dual despite losing the doubles point since Feb. 17, 2012, when the Vikings came back to beat Seattle 5-2 after being swept in doubles.
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The Vikings also wrapped up the season sweep of the Redhawks Friday, as they also beat the Redhawks 5-2 on Jan. 30 at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Wash.
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The Vikings will now hope to keep things going next weekend, as they continue on the road with matches at Eastern Washington and Gonzaga. The Vikings will play at Eastern Washington next Saturday at 11 a.m. in Cheney, Wash., and then head to Spokane, Wash., for a match against Gonzaga at 9 a.m. Sunday.
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Match Notes: The Vikings improve to 7-3 all-time against Seattle with Friday's win…Boniel improved to 6-0 during the 2016 dual season with his win at line one, tying him for the fourth-best single-season win total at No. 1 singles…The Vikings' four wins in singles Friday also improved their overall dual season record in singles to 25-11, which gives them an overall win percentage of .694.
Portland State 4, Seattle University 3
Feb 12, 2016 at Seattle, Wash. (Tennis Center at Sand Point)Â Singles competition |
1. BONIEL, Nathan (PSU) def. CLARE, Ian (SU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 |
2. GOLDNER, Scott (PSU) def. STORMANS, John (SU) 6-4, 6-1 |
3. SCHOETTLER, Michael (SU) def. WHEELER, Brent (PSU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 |
4. LOPEZ, Ethan (PSU) def. BERKABILE, Tanner (SU) 6-4, 6-2 |
5. COCHRANE, Wil (PSU) def. ALDERSON, Matt (SU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 |
6. LEAHY, Connor (SU) def. RISENHOOVER, Ian (PSU) 6-3, 6-3 |
Doubles competition |
1. WHEELER, Brent/LOPEZ, Ethan (PSU) def. BERKABILE, Tanner/ALDERSON, Matt (SU) 7-5 |
2. STORMANS, John/LEAHY, Connor (SU) def. RISENHOOVER, Ian/GOLDNER, Scott (PSU) 6-4 |
3. CLARE, Ian/SCHOETTLER, Michael (SU) def. BONIEL, Nathan/COCHRANE, Wil (PSU) 7-5 |
Match Notes |
Portland State 5-1 |
Seattle University 0-9 |
Order of Finish (Doubles): 2,1,3 |
Order of Finish (Singles): 4,2,3,6,1,5 |
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