Middlebury advanced to the NESCAC Championship with a 5-0 win over Trinity Saturday afternoon in the semifinals. Originally scheduled to be played at Amherst College, Saturday's semifinal matches were moved indoors to Hampshire College.
The top-seeded and top-ranked Panthers improve to 17-2 (8-0 NESCAC) and will play in the title match on Sunday at 1 p.m. The fifth-seeded Bantams drop to 13-6 (4-4 NESCAC) and will hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Middlebury, which increased its winning streak to 12 on the year, did not surrender more than four games in any doubles match. Andrew Thomson and Andrew Lee defeated Spencer Feldman and Anson McCook at No. 1, 8-4, while Andrew Peters and Chris Mason took care of David Dessau and Charles McConnell by the same score at No. 3. In the No. 2 match, Conrad Olson and Eliot Jia won against Trinity's Dan Couzens and Rich Bonfiglio, 8-3.
Thomson and Peter Odell put in nearly identical scores at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, to seal the 5-0 win for Middlebury. Thomson earned a 6-2, 6-1 win over Couzens in the fourth match, with Odell defeating Charles McConnell in the fifth, 6-2, 6-2.
Two singles matches were cut short when play was stopped, with Middlebury holding a lead in each. Peters was ahead of Feldman at No. 1, 6-2, 4-1, while Lee and McCook were tied at 4-4 in their second set after Lee won the first, 6-3.
With only four courts at Hampshire College, the No. 3 and No. 6 matches had yet to begin when Middlebury earned its fifth point.
NESCAC Championship Semifinals (@ Hampshire College)
#1 Middlebury College def. #5 Trinity College, 5-0
1. Andrew Thomson/Andrew Lee (MID) def. Spencer Feldman/Anson McCook (TRI) 8-4
2. Conrad Olson/Eliot Jia (MID) def. Dan Couzens/Rich Bonfiglio (TRI) 8-3
3. Andrew Peters/Chris Mason (MID) def. David Dessau/Charles McConnell (TRI) 8-4
1. Andrew Peters (MID) vs. Spencer Feldman (TRI) 6-2, 4-1, unfinished
2. Andrew Lee (MID) vs. Anson McCook (TRI) 6-3, 4-4, unfinished\
3. Conrad Olson (MID) vs. Rich Bonfiglio (TRI) unfinished
4. Andrew Thomson (MID) def. Dan Couzens (TRI) 6-2, 6-1
5. Peter Odell (MID) def. Charles McConnell (TRI) 6-2, 6-2
6. Eliot Jia (MID) vs. Adam Lanza (TRI) unfinished
