Box Score

FLUSHING, N.Y.  - The third-seeded Fairfield University men's tennis team had their hopes of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title dashed with a tough 7-0 loss to top-seeded Marist College this afternoon at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. 

The Stags had their six-match winning streak snapped and finished the season with a 13-10 overall record. The 13 wins ties the program record for wins in a season, a mark Fairfield achieved last year. It was the first time the Stags had appeared in the MAAC Championship final since the 2002-03 campaign. 

In the last match of his career, senior Balazs Szikla (Budapest, Hungary) fell to Nicholas Pisecky, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 4 singles. He earned one final victory on the day as he and partner Chip Palumbo (Winchester, Mass.) defeated Marcus von Nordheim and Landon Green, 8-5, at No. 3 doubles. The co-captain finishes the year with a 5-15 singles record and a 19-10 mark in doubles play. He is third all-time in combined victories with 111. He has a career 55-51 record in singles play and a 56-45 mark in doubles. 

Also playing in his final match was senior Glen Gannon (Chatham, N.J.). The co-captain's only contest of the day came at No. 2 doubles as he and partner George Laffey (Basking Ridge, N.J.) fell to Greg Marks and Loic Sessagemisi, 8-2. Gannon finishes the year with a 12-9 singles record and an 18-13 doubles record. He has a combined career record of 92-67, which includes a 40-27 mark in singles and a 52-40 mark in doubles. 

At No. 1 singles, Ryan Berthod (White Plains, N.Y.) fell to Christian Coley, 6-4, 6-0. Berthod finishes his sophomore campaign with a 15-16 overall record which ties him for second on the team in victories. At No. 2 singles, freshman Rob Ferrante (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) was topped by Sessagemisi, 6-2, 6-0. Ferrante finishes the year with a 15-10 overall record. 

At No. 3 singles, Laffey had his seven-match winning streak snapped by von Nordheim as he was edged 4-6, 7-6, 10-4 in a thriller. Laffey finishes the year with a 12-14 overall record. At No. 5 singles, Palumbo also had his seven-match winning streak ended in a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Marks. Palumbo finishes the year with an 18-8 overall singles record to set a career best.  He also had a 16-9 record in doubles play. At No. 6 singles, junior Chris Piasecki (Norwalk, Conn.) fell to Green, 6-1, 6-2. Piasecki was 9-4 on the year in singles play.