The Johnnie tennis team takes on St. Olaf in the first round of the MIAC Tournament at noon Friday, May 3, on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter. - Live Results | MIAC Tournament
WEATHER: All matches will be hosted outdoors on the Brown courts if weather permits. Should inclement weather occur, matches will be moved indoors to the Swanson courts.
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (7-12, 5-4 MIAC) ended its regular season with a 6-3 loss at Carleton on April 27 in Northfield. Senior Fabricio Moncada (Managua, Nicaragua/Lincoln International Academy) improved to 19-6 overall in singles competition including a 14-5 record at No. 1 (8-1 MIAC) with a straight-set victory (6-1, 7-5). Classmate Willie Paul (Duluth, Minn./Marshall) matched Moncada's 8-1 conference record at No. 6 singles with win via the super-breaker (6-4, 4-6, 10-7). Moncada and freshman Jack Hansen (Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd) teamed up for the Johnnies' only other victory at No. 1 doubles, 8-4.
A LOOK AT THE OLES: St. Olaf topped Macalester 6-3 on April 30 to claim a spot in this weekend's MIAC Tournament. The Oles, winners of three of their last five, took four of the six singles matches and two of the three doubles. Five of the six singles matches went to third-set tiebreakers, with St. Olaf winning three. In conference play, STO posted an even 27-27 record in singles competition and a 13-14 mark in doubles.
EARLIER THIS SEASON: Saint John's fell to St. Olaf 6-3 earlier this season on April 13 at Fitness Evolution in Sartell. St. Olaf started the day with wins in all three doubles matches, including two by 8-6 decisions.
Moncada won at No. 1 singles [6-3, 7-6, (11-9)] with a straight-set win over Andy Catania. Junior Connor Rust (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) won his match at No. 3 via the super-breaker, 10-6. Rust lost the first set with a 7-5 score in the tie-breaker before claiming a 6-4 win in the second set. Paul won the Johnnies' other match with identical 6-1 scores at No. 6. Junior Joe Laue (St. Louis Park, Minn./Holy Angels) lost a hard-fought match via the super-breaker at No. 2. Laue won the first set 6-3 before falling 6-0 in the second. He lost the super-breaker, 10-5.
POSTSEASON FAMILIARITY: SJU will now have played the Oles in the first round of the MIAC Tournament each of its last three appearances. The previous two both resulted in losses (2009: 7-2 and 2012: 6-3).
LAST YEAR'S POSTSEASON MEETING: The Johnnies ended their 2012 tennis season with a 6-3 loss to St. Olaf in the quarterfinal round of the MIAC Tournament last May in St. Peter. Moncada won the Johnnies' lone singles match at No. 1, 7-5 and 6-4. Ian Hansen '12 battled back to win the second set 6-4 at No. 2, but lost the super-breaker, 10-8. Hansen and Moncada teamed up to notch their sixth consecutive win at No. 1 doubles, 8-4. Paul and John Burns '12 won the other match for SJU at No. 3 doubles, 9-7.
