Box Score

Flushing, NY (Apr. 26, 2012) – Undaunted by a regular-season defeat to No. 1 NYU-POLY, Purchase strutted into the Skyline Conference Men's Tennis Semifinals Thursday night at the USTA National Tennis Center confident it would make amends against the powerhouse Fighting Blue Jays.

That confidence played a huge role in the outcome. The fourth-seeded Panthers upset NYU-POLY, 5-4, in a dramatic league semifinal. Purchase will now face the winner of the 2/3 semifinal between No. 3 MSMC and No. 2 FSC, which is Friday afternoon. The championship is set for Saturday at the winner of Friday's matchup. Match time is TBA.   

Purchase lost 7-2 to NYU-POLY (11-2, 6-0 Skyline) during the regular season, but thanks to an adjustment in its lineup, upended the undefeated league power in the postseason. Panther head coach Peter Nestel paired Brenden Keeling (JR/Ontario, Canada) and Jeremyah Schur (FR/Forest Hills, NY) in doubles late in the year and the dynamic duo responded. The team's top combo earned an 8-6 win Thursday night against Yan Krasny and Conor Doherty. The lineup adjustment also paid dividends throughout the rest of the order.   

However, NYU-POLY would take a 2-1 lead after doubles, earning 8-2 victories at second and third doubles.

The Panthers fought back in singles, with Keeling and Schur leading the way. Keeling earned a three-set thriller, winning 3-6, 6-0, 6-4, staging a comeback for a win at first singles. Schur added a 6-1, 6-4 final at No. 2, costing past Krasny.  

With NYU-POLY wrapping up wins at No. 3 and No. 4, the match would come down to the fifth and sixth singles, where rookie Michael Sorge (FR/Bronx, NY) and veteran Ben Ekis (SR/Rochester, NY) showed the depth of the Panthers. The two, coupled with the play of Keeling and Schur, helped Purchase reach the championship.

Sorge won 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5, and Ekis added a 6-3, 6-1 final at No. 6. The two singles wins contributed largely to the 5-4 final.  Purchase had trailed 4-2 with three matches remaining. Schur, a candidate for league rookie of the year, won his singles match, making the score 4-3. The Panthers had been on edge after watching Keeling drop his first set, but the team's No. 1 and candidate for player of the year, played "brilliantly" Nestel said in coming from behind to take the first singles match.

Keeling's victory tied the match at 4-4, leaving Sorge left to decide the match. The standout rookie played the role of hero on this night, following Ekis, Schur and Keeling in singles wins.   

“I'm so proud of the entire team,” said Nestel, whose team is now 10-4 on the season. “Thursday night was special. We're one win away for the championship. It's an exciting time for us and our program.”

The Panthers had reached the semifinals four of the last five previous seasons, never moving into the championship until Thursday's dynamic upset victory.