Box Score

FLUSHING, N.Y.  - The third-seeded Fairfield University men's tennis team advanced to the semifinals of the 2008 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships this afternoon with a 5-2 upset over second-seeded Niagara University at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The Stags (13-9) also tied the program record for wins in a season, a mark they achieved last year.

Fairfield, which has won six in a row, will face top-seeded Marist in the finals tomorrow, April 20, at 9 a.m. The Stags return to the Championship final for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

Freshman Rob Ferrante (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) posted a 7-5, 6-1 win against Alex Abji to win his fourth straight match at No. 2 singles.  At No. 3 singles, freshman George Laffey (Basking Ridge, N.J.) posted a 6-4, 6-4 against Roman Silin.

Senior Glen Gannon (Chatham, N.J.) notched an exciting 6-3, 7-6(6) win against Marc Dickinson at No. 5 singles while junior Chip Palumbo (Winchester, Mass.) defeated Joe Heckley, 6-4, 6-3, to capture his seventh straight match. 

The Stags captured the doubles point as well. At No. 2 doubles, Laffey and Gannon topped Silin and Heckley, 8-4. At No. 3 doubles, Balazs Szikla (Budapest, Hungary) and Palumbo sealed the point with an 8-4 win against Collin Laffey and Steve Kopf. 

The Purple Eagles won at No. 1 and No. 4 singles. At the top spot, Walter Garcia took a 6-3, 6-4 decision from Ryan Berthod (White Plains, N.Y.). At the fourth position, Collin Laffey defeated Szikla, 6-4, 6-4. 

At No. 1 doubles, Ferrante and Berthod fell to Garcia and Abji, 8-5.

For complete tournament information and coverage, visit MAAC Championship Central.