2010 Season in Review

Skyline Quarters Another Step Forward for Panthers
Rookie Class Shines in '10; Marceca All-Skyline

Purchase, NY (May 5, 2010) – After ending their 2010 campaign by nearly winning the Skyline Conference Tournament’s Quarterfinal, it’s safe to say the Purchase College men’s tennis  team took one step forward this spring.

The Panthers, who were the No. 4 seed in the tourney, fell just short in their opening round matchup with Yeshiva. Purchase lost 5-4 in a dramatic final singles match that came down to the last set. Although their playoff run was short lived, Purchase bounced back from a playoff-less spring in 2009 and has a lot to be excited about with its entire roster minus co-captain Matthew Plen, who is graduating early, returning for spring 2011.

[Pictured above: NO. 1 SINGLES PLAYER MAXIM LUIGGI HELPED THE PANTHERS REACH THE SKYLINE TOURNAMENT IN 2010.
-Photo by Oren Vourman] 

This spring was filled with highlights. Purchase was 3-1 at home against Skyline rivals, which included key wins over Bard, Mount St. Mary and Yeshiva. The Panthers were led on the court by co-captain Nico Marceca, who was 5-1 from No.3 singles, second best in the league. He was later named to the All-Skyline 2nd Team.  

Newcomer Blake Whitacre started out the season fifth on the depth chart, but rose down the stretch, thanks to some tremendous play. He produced a record of 5-2 in singles, good enough for playing time in the fourth spot, where he ended the season at 2-1.

This year’s Panthers were deep all the way down the lineup card, as they trotted out No.6 whiz kid Dillon Torchia. Torchia finished 5-1. Within the conference, the emergence of No.4 Roger King was essential to the Panthers’ success. The hitting machine went 4-1, the best in the Skyline in the fourth spot. King was named Skyline Rookie of the Week once during the season and also garnered one league Honor Roll mention, joining Whitacre among the other multiple weekly winners. Whitacre was named to the HR twice and also won a rookie of the week award.

The “Orange and Blue” excelled in doubles play as well, and were led by the efforts of the King/Max Luiggi tandem, which went 3-2, good enough for fourth overall in the conference.

The Panthers ended 2010 by saying goodbye to Plen, their No.2 singles standout. Plen was both a scholar-athlete and a two-time All-Skyline selection in three years. Even though Plen will be greatly missed, the Panthers have a bright future ahead with Whitacre, King, Torchia, Marceca, Luiggi, Carl Ackley and Chris Matchneer all returning next season.  

-Oren Vourman

2010 Recaps: 
Macs Edge Panthers in Quarters
Purchase Bounces Back from Loss, Tops Brooklyn
Panthers Suffer Minor Setback at Farmingdale
Surging Panthers Roll to Third Straight Win
Purchase Posts Consecutive Shutouts
Panthers Shutout Sarah Lawrence
CSI Topples Purchase
Purchase Snaps Two-Game Skid, Tops MSMC
Panthers Edged at City
NYU-POLY Slips Past Purchase
Ackley Helps Panthers Edge Yeshiva
Panthers Battle WestConn in Opener

2010 News:
Marceca Named to All-Skyline 2nd Team
King Grabs HR Mention in Season's Final Week
Whitacre Named Rookie of the Week
Second Honor Roll Nod for Whitacre
Whitacre's Strong Week Earns HR Mention
King Named Skyline Rookie of the Week

HOME MATCHES IN BOLD CAPS
*League Matches       

2009 Season in Review

Streaking Panthers Fall Just Short of Tourney
Marceca, Plen Named All-Skyline

Purchase, NY (May 4, 2009) – Four straight wins, including an upset of league foe Mount Saint Mary in the final week of the regular season, nearly clinched a playoff berth for the Purchase College men’s tennis team.

Unfortunately, some early struggles cost the Panthers a chance to play in the Skyline Conference Tournament. It marked the first season under head coach Peter Nestel that the team did not advance to the playoffs.

However, Nestel believes it might be his finest coaching job and one of the best teams he’s coached when you consider the obstacles they had to overcome, most notably the loss of their top three singles players. Purchase graduated Matt Kucker the spring before, which of course, was expected, but when its top two returning players did not return, Nestel needed to juggle the lineup in an effort to cover the holes. With only seven players on the roster, many of the team’s singles players from the bottom of the order moved up to the top, including returning All-Skyline selection Matthew Plen, who made the move from No. 4 to No. 1 – a daunting task, despite his return trip to the All-Skyline 2^nd Team in 2009.

“The team really rallied together,” Nestel said. “They did a great job. I’m very proud of them.”

Purchase won out its four final matches, but while trying to adjust to the loss of No. 1 David Reisner, who transferred to Tulane and No. 2 Anthony Morano, who stepped away from tennis in his senior season to tend to his studies, lost some early matches that could have secured the team a playoff berth. In the end, the Panthers finished 6-5 overall and 3-4 in the conference.

The biggest win of the season was certainly the 5-4 victory at MSM in the final weekend that gave the Panthers an outside shot at the tournament. As for individual performances, senior co-captains Alex Litzky and Christopher Arnet enjoyed strong springs, while No. 2 Harrison Grinnell and No. 3 Nico Marceca shined in 2009. Like Plen, Marceca was also named to the All-Skyline 2nd Team. Matthew Hecht wrapped up his collegiate career with his finest season in his senior year and standout rookie Maxim Luiggi returns next spring set to anchor a lineup that includes up-and-comers Grinnell, Marceca and Plen.  

-Bobby Ciafardini, SID

2009 Recaps: 
Panthers Wrap Season with Back-to-Back Wins
Panthers Cruise at Sage
Purchase Dominant on Senior Day
Undefeated SJC Rolls Past Purchase
Panthers Fall at Bard
Purchase Overwhelms CMSV
Panthers Split Last Two; Blank Gryphons, 9-0
No. 1 Farmingdale Pulls Out Close Final
CCNY Edges Purchase in Opener

2009 News:
Marceca, Plen Named to All-Skyline 2nd Team
Plen Named to Honor Roll
Marceca Earns Second Honor Roll Mention
Second Honor Roll Mention for Grinnell
Marceca Named to Honor Roll
Grinnell Named to Honor Roll

HOME MATCHES IN BOLD CAPS
*League Matches       

2008 Season in Review

Panthers Reach Semifinals of Skyline Tourney
Kucker, Plen Named to All-Skyline Team

Purchase, NY -- Some nagging injuries likely cost the Purchase College men's tennis team their semifinal match with St. Joseph's College-LI, but the Panthers remain optimistic about next season, especially since they will return most of their lineup and roster.  

Purchase finished the season at  9–8, with a conference record of 4–3, good enough for the No. 3 seed in the Skyline Tournament. The Panthers, dealing with both key injuries as well as the exhaustion from having to take the strenuous trip out to Patchogue on consecutive days, fell to top ranked St. Josephs by a score of 5-3. Despite the disappointing end to the season, the Panthers can look back on the spring as a successful one, and a number of the Panthers were honored this season for their efforts.

Rookie Matthew Plen (FR/Manchester, CT) started his career off on the right foot. Plen found himself recognized by the Skyline Conference multiple times, as he won Rookie of the Week and was named to the conference Honor Roll consecutive weeks. He was later named to the All-Skyline Second Team.

Another highlight this season came off the racket of co-captain Matthew Kucker (SR/Brooklyn, NY). Kucker had a strong season for the Panthers, culminated by both his win in singles and in doubles with Anthony Morano (JR/Yonkers, NY) during the conference semifinals. Earlier in the season, Kucker was also named Skyline Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week and later joined Plen on the All-Skyline Second Team.

The Panthers found themselves in a hole in the last two matches of the season, as No. 1 David Reisner (SO/South Salem, NY) was injured and far from 100 percent. As he did all season, Reisner continued to compete, and one can’t help but wonder what would have happened had he been healthy. The Panthers also got nice efforts out of co-captain Christopher Arnet (JR/North Tonawanda, NY) and Nico Marceca (FR/North Salem, NY). The combination earned a win at No. 3 doubles in the playoff.

With a large part of their core returning, the team can look to continue to grow under coach Nestel’s guidance as they look to break into the conference championship next spring.

-Michael Wimmer

2008 Recaps: 
Season Ends at St. Joe's in Semis
Panthers Win Third Straight; Kucker Honored 
Purchase Knocks Out Lehman
Panthers Shutout Dolphins
MSM Edges Purchase
Panthers Cruise Past Dolphins
Farmingdale Steals Win as Singles Falters
Purchase Singles Seals Win Over Poly
Panthers Rattle Raptors in Jungle Rumble
Brooklyn Snaps Purchase's Mini Win Streak
Panthers Swarm Macs for Second Straight Win
Fast Start: Panthers Swiftly Defeat PBU
Reisner Rumbles as Panthers Tumble
Panthers Split Opening Day Doubleheader

2008 News:
Kucker, Plen Named All-Skyline
Grinnell Earns First Honor Roll Spot
Plen Garners Consecutive Skyline Honors
Kucker, Plen Sweep Weekly Conference Awards

HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS
*League Matches       

2007 Men's Tennis Season

HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS
*League Matches       
{BH} Byram Hills