Goshen, IN — Looking for the program’s first win over Mid-Central Conference foe Indiana Wesleyan University this decade, the Goshen College men’s tennis team came up just short, dropping a 5-4 decision to the Wildcats Tuesday afternoon.
Goshen (1-4, 1-3) took a commanding 2-1 lead following doubles action at the Goshen College Tennis Complex, and needed just half of the remaining six singles positions to secure the team win.
Unfortunately for the Leafs, only freshmen Sashi Sabanathan (number one singles) and Alex Dominguez (number three) were able to pull off victories, allowing IWU to escape with the ultra-tight, one-match decision.
“Wesleyan is not as strong as they’ve been in the past several years, but they played well enough today to hand us a very disappointing loss,” said Stan King, Goshen head coach. “We had a good chance to win this one, but it just didn’t happen.”
Goshen opened the afternoon with a strong showing in doubles competition, as Sabanathan and senior Beakal Girma handed the Wildcats’ Ben Bischoff and Micah May an 8-4 defeat in the top flight. Junior Sheldon Good and senior Ashe Abebe won the number three position by an 8-5 count, while Dominguez and sophomore Joel King dropped an 8-5 decision in number two doubles’ action.
“I thought we played aggressively on our way to wins at both number one and three doubles, but our play as a team was not effective in our loss at number two doubles,” Stan King said.
Perhaps most disappointing was the play of the Leafs’ singles matches, as Girma, Good and freshman Chanuk Algama all lost in straight sets. Joel King’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 loss at number four singles turned out to be the deciding match for the overall team result.
Sabanathan kept his season-long undefeated streak alive in singles play, knocking off Wesleyan’s Bischoff 6-0, 1-6, 6-1. Dominguez also needed three sets to take his number three decision, winning 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.
“Alex overcame some light headedness early on in his number three singles match, before recovering and taking the match is three sets,” Stan King said. “Our other singles winner, Sashi Sabanathan, also won in three sets, a match marked with unusually lopsided set scores. Sashi continues to play with good command of his game as he remains undefeated at number two singles to go with a win in his lone match at number one singles.”
Tuesday’s effort was the closest loss of the season for the Leafs, and also the closest the program has come to sniffing a win over Indiana Wesleyan. Goshen won four games over the Wildcats on Tuesday night alone — the team had registered just five wins in the teams’ previous six meetings.
Goshen had scheduled a match with Defiance College on Thursday, but another Defiance administrative error has cancelled that event. A make-up date is uncertain at this point. Goshen will now return to MCC competition on Saturday, when the team hosts Marian College. Match time is set for 11 a.m.
Singles:
#1 Matt Pederson (W) def Beakal Girma 6-3, 6-0
#2 Sashi Sabanathan (G) def Ben Bischoff 6-0, 1-6, 6-1
#3 Alex Dominguez (G) def Nate Gentry 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
#4 Dreu Dawkins (W) def Joel King 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
#5 Carson Vanderbssche (W) def Sheldon Good 6-1, 6-0
#6 Micah May (W) def Chanuk Algama 6-2, 6-1
Doubles:
#1 Girma/Sabanathan (G) def Bishoff/May 8-4
#2 Pederson/Vanderbssche (W) def Dominguez/King 8-5
#3 Good/Abebe (G) def Gentry/Dawkins 8-5
Exhibition matches:
Longburg/Russey (W) def Toews/Kauffman 8-2
Ben Toews (G) def Austin Longburg 9-8 (W)
Luke Russey (W) def Jordan Kauffman (G) 8-2
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  Freshman Sashi Sabanathan
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