Box Score

Feb. 20, 2007

Complete Results

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of North Florida men's tennis team overcame a slow start and muscled its way past Atlantic Sun Conference foe Stetson on Tuesday afternoon at the UNF Tennis Complex, earning a hard- fought 4-3 win.

After losing the doubles point, UNF (3-5, 2-0 A-Sun) rallied with wins at the top three singles positions and added another win by senior Leonardo Gomes at No. 6 singles to pull out the match victory - the Ospreys' third in four matches since a 0-4 start.

"We knew going into this match that it would be close either way," UNF head coach Igal Buberman said. "(Stetson) just beat the No. 70 in the country (Utah), and they have been playing solid. Our guys stepped out big time, and everyone competed to the best of their best abilities. We have been trying to get ourselves back to where we belong, and this shows all the hard work we are putting in."

In doubles play, UNF captured a win at No. 3 doubles to when Elad Gabay and Eduardo Pereira posted an 8-2 win. Stetson (4-4, 0-1 A-Sun) evened things up with a win at No. 1 doubles, however, when Marcus Echtler and Filip Kricksa knocked off UNF's Matias Sigal and Yuiti Lopes, 8-4.

Javier Ferrin and Gomes came up just shot at No. 3 doubles after that, losing a pair of match points to fall 9-8 (4) and give the Hatters the doubles point and a 1- 0 lead.

In singles play, Gomes knocked off Stetson's Daniel Stamp, 6-2, 6-4, and the Ospreys took a default win at No. 1 singles when Stetson's Marcus Echtler didn't finish against UNF's Matias Sigal (3-0).

UNF's Eduardo Pereira then rallied from a one-set deficit to knock off Hicham Laalej (4-6, 6-2, 6- 3) at the No. 2 position, while Ben Smith upended Stetson's Serguei Boulanov (6-3, 6-4) at No. 3 singles.

The Ospreys return to action on Friday when they play host to A-Sun foe Mercer at the UNF Tennis Complex. Match time is set for 2 p.m.