Saint John's wraps up non-conference play with a 4 p.m. match against Division II St. Cloud State on Thursday, April 25, at Fitness Evolution in Sartell.
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (6-11, 5-3 MIAC) returned to non-conference tennis action and earned a 7-2 win over St. Scholastica on April 23 at Fitness Evolution in Sartell. The Johnnies swept all three doubles matches and ended St. Scholastica's streak of six consecutive 9-0 wins with the victory. Senior Fabricio Moncada (Managua, Nicaragua/Lincoln International Academy) improved to 18-5 overall in singles competition and 13-4 at No. 1 with a 6-2 and 6-1 victory. His 18 wins is the highest win total by a Johnnie since Pete Crouser and Brent Feddema each won 20 matches in 1993. Moncada has held his opponents to three points or less in each of his last 10 sets (five matches). Junior Connor Rust (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) won at No. 2 (6-0, 6-3) and freshman Jack Hansen (Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd) posted a victory at No. 4 (6-1, 6-3). Senior Zach Shriwise (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) won the Johnnies' other singles match at No. 5 (6-4, 7-5).
A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES: St. Cloud State (5-13 overall) is just 2-10 since defeating SJU earlier this season on Feb. 16. Tyler Hjalmquist is the lone Husky at .500 or better in singles competition (minimum five matches) at 8-8. The Huskies have struggled at Nos. 3 and 4 singles, posting a combined 4-32 record. Thursday's match is the regular-season finale for SCSU before the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament April 27-30.
EARLIER THIS SEASON: SCSU earned three razor-thin wins in doubles competition to defeat Saint John's 5-4 earlier this season on Feb. 16 in Sartell. Moncada and Rust lost their match at No. 1 doubles 8-6, while junior Joe Laue (St. Louis Park, Minn./Holy Angels) and Shriwise lost to the Huskies at No. 2, 9-8 (7-3). The freshman tandem of Hansen and Andrew Nagel (Maple Grove, Minn.) fell at No. 3, 9-7. Moncada earned his first win of 2013 via the super-breaker over Hjalmquist at No. 1 singles (7-5, 4-6, 10-7). Laue won his match in straight sets (6-2, 6-4) at No. 3 and Hansen bounced back from a tough loss in the first set [6-7 (6-8)] to win his first collegiate match at No. 4 (6-1, 10-6). Shriwise won the other match for SJU at No. 5 (5-7, 6-4, 10-6).
