W. Tennis Headed To Skyline Finals After Defeating Yeshiva
West Hempstead, N.Y. - The #2 seed Golden Eagles women's tennis team will advance to the next round of the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament after defeating #3 Yeshiva University by a score of 5-3 in the semifinal round at the Hempstead Lake Indoor Tennis Center.
The doubles matches helped St. Joseph's jump out of the gate early, defeating Yeshiva's pairs 2-1. Rita Wehrli (Medford, N.Y. / Patchogue-Medford) and Erika Hesselbirg (Shirley, N.Y. / William Floyd) won by a score of 8-1, and Kerri Cetin (Centereach, N.Y. / Centereach) and Lindsey Merker (Flanders, N.Y. / McGann-Mercy) defeated their opponents 8-6. Taking an early lead into the singles matches was crucial for the Golden Eagles as they carried the momentum into the next phase.
Kelley McGrath (Nesconset, N.Y. / Sachem North), Hesselbirg, and Lindsey Merker all came out of the singles matches with victories, capping the 5-3 win over the Maccabees.
Coach Nathan and his team will be advancing to the Skyline Conference Tournament final this weekend for the first time since 2011, where they ultimately loss to Mount Saint Mary.
Their opponent and the time of the match are to be determined after #4 Sage College plays #1 Farmingdale State, today at 4:00 p.m. The winner of that matchup will advance to the championship round, where they will have to scratch and claw their way past the Golden Eagles to be crowned champions.
The Golden Eagles have had recent success over Sage, having won four of their last five matches against the Gators. If history would tell, St. Joseph's has a good chance of taming the Gators.
As for the other potential opponent, Farmingdale State, history shows that this matchup has been a tough outing for Coach Nathan's squad. The Golden Eagles have fallen to the reigning Skyline Conference Champions in four straight appearances. Their last win over the Rams came on October 26th, 2011 when the Golden Eagles beat out the Rams to advance to the championship round.
The details of the Skyline Conference Tournament Championship will be updated following the Sage vs. Farmingdale State matchup. Check back here tomorrow to find out when, where, and who the Golden Eagles will be taking on Saturday for the championship.
