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POCATELLO, Idaho — The 4-3 curse found its way to the Portland State men's tennis team once again Friday, as the Vikings lost to Idaho State, 4-3, at the Tennis Courts at Reed Gym for their third 4-3 loss in their last five matches.
 
Close, 4-3 losses have been a nagging problem all season for the Vikings (3-11, 1-6 Big Sky), as Friday's match marked the Vikings' sixth 4-3 match of the year, as well as their third straight.
 
The Vikings had appeared to break through with their first 4-3 win last Sunday over Northern Colorado, which came two weeks after a 4-3 loss at home to Montana State on March 12. Friday's match put the Vikings back on the wrong end of another close match, however, as the Bengals (9-7, 4-3 Big Sky) pulled out the close match behind a doubles sweep and wins at the bottom of the lineup in singles.
 
The Bengals took the doubles point with 6-1 and 6-2 wins at lines one and three, respectively, and then won in straight sets at lines 4-6 to clinch the dual.
 
The bright side for the Vikings came at the top of the singles lineup, where junior Nathan Boniel, freshman Tommy Edwards and senior Scott Goldner won their matches at lines one, two and three, respectively.
 
Boniel beat Idaho State's Sebastian Edin 6-3, 6-4, at line one, upping his new career record for singles wins at Portland State to 30. Boniel set the career record in the Vikings' win last week at Northern Colorado, and now owns the career records for overall singles wins (30), overall singles win percentage (.882), wins at No. 1 singles (30) and win percentage at No. 1 singles (.882).
 
Boniel also tied the career record for Big Sky singles wins with his win Friday, as he now has 15 conference wins in his career, equaling the record Boniel's former teammate, Ian Risenhoover, set from 2013-16.
 
Edwards won his fifth Big Sky match of the season with a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over Idaho State's Quentin Wacquez at line two. Edwards, a freshman, was playing a senior in Wacquez, but proved more clutch in the big moments while winning his seventh match of the season at line two.
 
Edwards' seven wins at line two this season have already moved him up to fourth all-time in wins at the position, and Edwards stands just two wins behind the single-season record of nine that Alex VanDerschelden set in 2010.
 
Goldner broke through for his first win of the season at line three, as he pulled out another close match with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Idaho State's Josh Goodwin. Goldner's win is a further indicator that the Viking senior is returning to form after an injury held him out of the Vikings' first seven matches of the 2017 dual season.
 
The Vikings could use an in-form Goldner for their final four matches of the regular season, starting with Saturday's match against three-time defending Big Sky regular-season champion Weber State. The Wildcats host the Vikings at 1 p.m. (MT).
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 4-10 all-time against Idaho State with Friday's loss…The Vikings are 1-9 all-time against Idaho State in Pocatello after Friday…Boniel and Edwards are 6-1 and 5-2 in Big Sky singles matches this season after Friday.
 
Idaho State 4, Portland State 3
Mar 31, 2017 at Pocatello, Idaho (Tennis Courts at Reed Gym) 

Singles competition

1. BONIEL, Nathan (PSU) def. EDIN,Sebastian (ISU) 6-3, 6-4

2. EDWARDS, Tommy (PSU) def. WACQUEZ,Quentin (ISU) 7-6 (7-1), 6-4

3. GOLDNER, Scott (PSU) def. GOODWIN,Josh (ISU) 6-4, 7-5

4. FILIPOVICH,Francis (ISU) def. LOPEZ, Ethan (PSU) 6-1, 6-0

5. SCHEEPBOUWER,Bjorn (ISU) def. ABDO, Yousef (PSU) 6-2, 6-2

6. SULLIVAN,Keegan (ISU) def. LARSON, Sam (PSU) 6-1, 6-1

 

Doubles competition

1. EDIN,Sebastian/GOODWIN,Josh (ISU) def. BONIEL, Nathan/EDWARDS, Tommy (PSU) 6-1

2. SCHEEPBOUWER,Bjorn/SULLIVAN,Keegan (ISU) vs. GOLDNER, Scott/ABDO, Yousef (PSU) 4-3, unfinished

3. WACQUEZ,Quentin/FILIPOVICH,Francis (ISU) def. LOPEZ, Ethan/LARSON, Sam (PSU) 6-2

 

Match Notes

Portland State 3-11, 1-6 BSC

Idaho State 9-7, 4-3 BSC

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (4,3,1,2,5,6)