Box Score

Purchase, NY (Mar. 6, 2012) – Powerhouse Baruch College – a program that fell in the CUNY finals a spring ago – upended host Purchase College Tuesday in the Panthers' season-opening match. The Bearcats prevailed 9-0 in the frigid afternoon contest.

“You can make a serious case that they are better than were a year ago," Purchase head coach Peter Nestel said of Baruch. “They have a strong lineup, highlighted by several international players. Tough team to open against, but Baruch is likely the best team we will face all season and I expect us to bounce back and use the positives from today as a springboard for the rest of the season.”

The Bearcats (1-1), which defeated the Panthers last spring right by the Skyline Conference tournament, rebounded from a season-opening defeat to fellow DIII elite Vassar College. Baruch was primed for a big day, starting strong and quick on an afternoon when the temperatures continued to fall as the match progressed.

Baruch's No. 1 doubles tandem of Artem Gorbachevskiy and Guy Goren toppled Brenden Keeling (JR/Ontario, Canada) and Roger King* (JR/Yonkers, NY), 8-0, at the top of the doubles order. The Bearcats added two more victories in doubles, winning 8-5 at No. 2 and 8-1 at No. 3.

The Panthers (0-1) got their best performance at No. 2, with Maxim Luiggi* (SR/Paris, France) and Jeremyah Schur (FR/Forest Hills, NY) teaming in an 8-5 loss. Baruch's Philip Bleustein and Joe Laskowski combined for an 8-1 victory over Ben Ekis (SR/Rochester, NY) and Chris Matchneer (JR/Larchmont, NY) at No. 3.   

Although Baruch would take the match in a sweep, the Panthers pushed the mighty Bearcats to the brink several times in the opener, especially in singles play.

The final match of the afternoon featured top singles pairing of Baruch's Artem Gorbachevskiy and Purchase's Keeling, who was named to the All-Skyline team last spring. Keeling fell 6-2, 4-6 (14-12) in the super tiebreaker. Keeling matched Baruch's No. 1 in a fierce contest that was decided in the tiebreaker.

Purchase also got a strong performance out of Ekis at No. 5, where the senior lost 10-7 in another super tiebreaker. Baruch's Bleustein won 6-1, 4-6 (10-7).

Baruch's Goren earned a 6-2, 6-3 win against Schur at No. 2; Christopher Jenkins defeated King, Roger 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3; Stephan Muller toppled Luiggi 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4; and Laskowski capped the sweep in a win over Carl Ackley (SR/Shoreham, NY) 6-0, 6-0. Panther rookie Simon Lai (JR/Garrison, NY) fell in an exhibition singles match, but like his teammates played well despite the final outcome.

The Panthers will look to get in the win column over the weekend at rival Bard, a former Skyline Conference opponent that has since moved out of conference.