JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Title town has moved to Jersey City as the Gothic Knights continue to amass championships. The New Jersey City University men's tennis team got in on the action — joining
men's basketball,
women's basketball,
men's volleyball and eSports'
Super Smash Brothers Ultimate — today, Sunday, May 9, as the squad defeated The College of New Jersey, 5-3, in the 2021 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) men's tennis championship match. The top-seeded Gothic Knights hosted the second-seeded Lions at the Lincoln Park Tennis Courts.
TCNJ (6-2) — ranked #13 in the NCAA Division III Northeast Region — had never lost a match to a NJAC opponent entering the 2020-21 season, but the Gothic Knights (6-1) — ranked #12 in the Northeast — took care of that by beating the defending conference champs twice this season, first by a score of 5-4
back on April 10, and then again earlier today by a score of 5-3. It all came down to second singles and NJAC Rookie of the Year
Nico Teynie (Rouen, France/Lycée Val de Seine). With his team leading 4-3, the freshman was able to nail down the overall match victory for his squad, and his teammates rushed the court in celebration as the Gothic Knights capped off an unbelievable inaugural season since returning after a 22-year hiatus.
The difference between today's win compared to the one earlier this year was doubles. NJCU was able to win two of three matches and take a 2-1 lead heading into singles play. The NJAC's top-ranked doubles team of TCNJ's Justin Wain and Matthew Michibata — ranked #7 in the Northeast — picked up the first win of the day at first doubles over NJCU juniors
Theo Bourghelle (Lesquin, France/LaSalle Lille) and
Alex Platonov (Weehawken, N.J./Weehawken), 8-2. However, the All-NJAC doubles team of Teynie and fellow freshman
Toni Cabot (Palma, Spain/IES Albuhaira) evened it up for the Gothic Knights at second doubles, 8-6, over the Lions' Adrian Tsui and Akul Telluri. Rookies
Jordi Julia (Barcelona, Spain/IES Sant Quirze del Valles) and
Alejandro Ley (Las Palmas, Spain/I.E.S. Politécnico) locked up the 2-1 lead after doubles with an 8-6 win of their own at third doubles, defeating Derek Jordan and Rahul Panoli of TCNJ, 8-6.
Leading 2-1, the Gothic Knights needed just three of the six singles matches to go their way. The first match to finish was third singles, which saw Tsui top Julia (6-0, 6-1) and make it a 2-2 overall score. Then, sixth singles came to a close as Panoli took down freshman
Gerard Loras (Tortosa, Spain/Col·legi Diocesà Sagrada Família) in straight sets (6-0, 6-2) as well, giving TCNJ the 3-2 lead.
Now NJCU needed to press — and press the home squad did.
Cabot was able to cruise through his match and pick up the victory at fourth singles (6-0, 6-3) against Telluri and knot it up at 3-3. Just after that, Ley — who trailed at several points in his first set at fifth singles — managed to come back and win the match (6-4, 6-1) against Jordan and give his squad the 4-3 lead, putting them one win away from the clinch. Bourghelle — the #12 ranked singles player in the Northeast — and Wain were locked in a battle at first singles. The NJCU junior captain won set one quickly, 6-2, but he and Wain were deadlocked at 4-4 in set number two.
Simultaneously, Teynie and Michibata were locked in a dual at second singles. Teynie won set one 6-4, and then leading 5-4 and serving in the 10th game, Teynie was looking to win it. He won five straight points in that game and his teammates went wild, storming the court in celebration.
What's Next
As the dust settles for the Gothic Knights, they now await the possibility of an at-large bid to the 37-team 2021 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship Tournament, which will take place in Chattanooga, Tenn. The selection show takes place tomorrow, Monday, May 10, and you can access it via
this link.
