After a dominating performance against Connecticut College midweek, the Wesleyan men’s tennis team ran into a roadblock known as the Bowdoin Bears on Saturday. A match in which the wheels never got rolling for Wes, Bowdoin jumped out strong and finished equally as strong as they won 6-1.
It was Bowdoin’s depth that caused problems for the home team. Even the usual stalwart doubles play was unable to pick up a point. The loss leaves the Cardinals with an overall record of 9-8, with a 7-6 mark for the spring.
“They were just a very solid team,” said co-captain Ari Levin ’04. “All of our other players mentioned how Bowdoin didn’t have as much talent as some of the other teams we’ve played, but just had incredible depth. One through six, there was no drop-off from one player to another.”
Even the doubles teams, who have been so strong all year, were left wondering what went wrong after being bested on three separate occasions.
“We needed to capitalize on our doubles, which is our strength,” said Max Kates ’06. “When we didn’t get it done, it was like expecting Culture Club at Spring Fling only to get a Deniece Williams cover band.”
The lone victor for the Cardinals was Tallen Todorovich ’07. He has been one of the most consistent players on the court this year, something that is not often seen from a freshman. In addition to being a strong singles player, he has shown his versatility by forming a strong doubles team with Adam Stone ’05.
“Tallen is a solid #3 player and has one of, if not the best record on the team in singles and doubles,” Levin said. “By playing all year, he has a lot of experience for a freshman. He has carried the team on some tough days. Unlike most freshman who don’t play right away, he is going to be good and get better the full four years here.”
This Wednesday, Wesleyan once again fell under the sword of archrivals Williams College. In typical Williams vs. Wesleyan fashion, the match was hard fought and afterwards that effort was evident by the blood, sweat, and tears that covered the court. For the Cardinals, it was an effort that didn’t show up in the scoreboard, as they were bested 7-0.
The Williams match was the last regular season outing for the Cards. Next is the NESCAC tournament, where dreams will either come true or be shattered into thousands upon thousands of little tiny glass shards. Whatever the outcome may be, Levin and fellow senior captain Dan Yeoman ’04 understand that their time at Wes has ended and now they must make that mystical journey known as graduation.
“Tennis has been a central part of my college career and I’m definitely going to miss it,” Levin said. “I’m going to miss the competitive nature of it and being will all the guys. Dan and I are looking to go out big.”
Who knows what the future holds for these gladiators of the hard court. Whatever it may be, their experiences at Wesleyan will guide them.
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