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BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Portland State men's tennis team has made things harder on itself, as the Vikings dropped a critical, 4-0 decision to Montana State Friday, making their path to the Big Sky tournament more difficult.
 
The Vikings (11-8, 5-5 Big Sky) entered the match with the chance to move past the Bobcats (5-10, 5-3 Big Sky) into sixth in the Big Sky standings with a win, but now enter their Big Sky finale against Montana tomorrow with their fate decidedly out of their hands.
 
The Vikings could still make the Big Sky tournament, but will need to beat Montana on the road Saturday – something no Viking team has ever done – and will also need help from other teams after that. If the Vikings beat the Grizzlies, then they'll need either Montana or Montana State to lose all their remaining matches to make the six-team conference tournament at the end of the month.
 
Things would have been easier if the Vikings had beaten the Bobcats Friday, but the Bobcats took control of the critical match quickly.
 
The Bobcats clinched the doubles point with 6-2 wins at lines one and three in doubles, and then won the matches at lines 2-4 in singles in straight sets to wrap up the dual.
 
Sophomore Nathan Boniel was leading in the third set of his match at line one when the match was called at line one, while the matches at lines five and six were tied in the first set. Boniel has already broken the single-season record for overall singles wins, Big Sky singles wins and wins at No. 1 singles this season, and remains on track to set the single-season records for overall singles win percentage and win percentage at No. 1 singles as well.
 
Boniel will look to lead the Vikings against the Grizzlies Saturday, when the Vikings will need a win to stay in the hunt for a spot in the Big Sky tournament. The Vikings and Grizzlies square off at 1 p.m. (MT) in Missoula, Mont., at the Robert O. Lindsay Tennis Center.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fall to 1-10 all-time against the Bobcats with their loss Friday, and 0-4 all-time against the Bobcats on the road…Junior Ethan Lopez and senior Brent Wheeler were making their first attempt at a record-breaking 22nd career win together in the match, which would have made them the winningest doubles team in program history.

Montana State 4, Portland State 0
Apr 15, 2016 at Bozeman, MT (Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. BONIEL, Nathan (PSU) vs. BATES, Kellen (MSU) no result

2. FLINK, Alexander (MSU) def. LOPEZ, Ethan (PSU) 7-5, 6-2

3. JAMES, Harry (MSU) def. WHEELER, Brent (PSU) 6-1, 6-1

4. SITAR, Rok (MSU) def. COCHRANE, Wil (PSU) 6-2, 6-4

5. RISENHOOVER, Ian (PSU) vs. CEOLIN, Mateus (MSU) no result

6. RISENHOOVER, Russell (PSU) vs. HARVALA, Dylan (MSU) no result

Doubles competition

1. FLINK, Alexander/JAMES, Harry (MSU) def. LOPEZ, Ethan/WHEELER, Brent (PSU) 6-2

2. COCHRANE, Wil/RISENHOOVER, Ian (PSU) vs. BATES, Kellen/CEOLIN, Mateus (MSU) no result

3. HARVALA, Dylan/SITAR, Rok (MSU) def. BONIEL, Nathan/RISENHOOVER, Russell (PSU) 6-2

Match Notes

Portland State 11-8/5-5 Big Sky

Montana State 5-10/5-3 Big Sky

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,4,2)

Bates-Ceolin (MSU) led 5-3 when match was abandoned

Bates trailed 6-4, 4-6, 1-4 at No. 1, Ceolin tied 3-3 and Harvala tied 1-1 when

matches were left unfinished