The men’s tennis team suffered two tough home losses against Colgate and Boston University. The Bison fell 4-3 to Colgate on April 5 and succumbed 5-2 to Boston University on April 6.

In its match against Colgate, the team was forced to the indoor courts due to icy rain and whipping wind. Despite the change of scenery, the Bison performed well in singles play. No. 1 Nick Bybel ’16 overcame his opponent easily, pulling through with a 6-4, 6-3 win. Joining Bybel in victory, No. 4 Octavio Canibe ’15 captured a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over his opponent, while Jonathan DeFrancesch ’15 won 6-2, 6-4. Despite success in singles, the Bison fell in all three doubles matches and three other singles matches creating a deficit that was too great to overcome.

“We always look forward to playing Colgate each year. “ Senior Scott Bernstein said, “We’ve focused on raising the energy level this year as a team, and that always goes neck-and-neck with Colgate.  Our senior, Kyle Rosen, fought with a lot of heart in the final match.  I believe those kind of situations will only make our team stronger.”

The next day, the squad challenged Boston University. The herd was able to capture three victories, led again by Bybel and his victories in singles play (6-4, 6-0) and his doubles match at the No. 1 spot with partner Aidan Lynch ’14 (8-4). Canibe was also successful in his singles play (6-4, 4-6, 10-8), though he had a hard fight against his Colgate opponent. The other Bison were not able to pull through with any victories, as the team fell to 1-3 in Patriot League play.

Bernstein said, “They’ve built a solid lineup of strong and consistent baseline hitters.  We were prepared to go the distance, and unfortunately we came up short.”

The Bison hope to bounce back tomorrow when they face Temple in Philadelphia, Pa., and Lafayette in Easton, Pa. on Sunday.