PATCHOGUE, N.Y. - Despite not having its typical top-flight player, the Purchase College men's tennis team secured a crucial win at St. Joseph's College-Long Island Monday evening, by rallying to defeat the Golden Eagles, 5-4.

With the win, the Panthers are now 2-5 overall and 1-2 in Skyline Conference matches. As for the Golden Eagles, they dropped to 1-7 and 0-4.

Initially, it was the guests that jumped in front, thanks to a pair of doubles wins.

The No. 3 duo of William Isidro (JR/Monroe, NY) and Nikita Kordzielewska (JR/ Stepnica, Poland) took their match 8-1, while the No. 1 pair of Ben Joory (JR/Port Washington, NY) and Simon Montalvo (SR/Valencia, Spain) also won by the same score.

Once the action moved to singles, that's when the hosts started the flip the script.

To begin, the Golden Eagles won three-straight solo matchups to jump ahead 4-2, leaving the Panthers no room for error.

Kordzielewska kept the hope alive, as she took her match at No. 5 by the scores of 6-3, 7-5.

Montalvo then secured his No. 2 singles contest with relative ease - 6-3, 6-3 - leaving Joory as the potential hero in No. 1 spot. 

Normally, No. 1 singles is occupied by Julian Szuper (SR/New York, NY) but he was not at the match today.

In his place, Joory, the team's go-to No. 2, stepped up and earned the win by the scores of 6-3, 7-6 to send the Panthers home as victors.

With the triumph, Purchase significantly aided its playoff chances as the team enters the final two weeks of the season. Before the Panthers can focus on Skyline playoffs though, they must complete their non-conference schedule. 

Up next is a road battle with Western Connecticut State University on April 20th at 3:30 p.m.