Masso's 3-set win clinches berth in finals for 10th straight year

DUDLEY, Mass. - Salve Regina University senior Steve Masso [No. Scituate, R.I.] rallied from a one-set deficit to clinch the deciding point in a three-set thriller at No. 2 singles to lift the Seahawk men's tennis program to a 5-4 victory against second-seeded Nichols College, and to its 10th straight appearance in The Commonwealth Coast Conference championship match.

The Seahawks, who advanced to today's semifinal in Dudley after a 5-2 quarterfinal win over Endicott in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, had fallen to the Bison, 6-3, during the regular-season meeting in Newport on April 5.

Masso and fellow senior captain Andrew Martin [Glastonbury, Conn.] gave Salve Regina the early lead with a shutout win at No. 1 doubles, as they had done in the regular season match. A bonus point for the visitors came from No. 3 doubles when sophomore Brian Castrichini [Winchester, Mass.] and freshman Aaron Isch [Tolland, Conn.] took an 8-4 decision. That duo had lost a close 8-6 battle to Dave Drucker [Bellmore, N.Y.] and Eliot Wuhrmann [Fontainbleau, France] in the first encounter.

Nichols narrowly avoided the doubles sweep when Steve Carella [Rocky Hill, Conn.] and Tony Ramsdell [Gardner, Mass.] won 8-6 at the No. 2 spot.

Wuhrmann, who dropped down to No. 6 singles in the Bison lineup, evened the score at 2-2 when he came off the courts with a straight-set win. Seahawk freshman Chad Strong [San Diego, Calif.], who went unbeaten in conference play during the regular season and passed his doubles partner Zachary Rosenfeld [Easton, Conn.] in the Salve Regina singles lineup, continued his solid singles play with a straight-set win at No. 3. Rosenfeld has been unbeaten since moving behind Strong in the order and delivered a straight-set win at No. 4 for a 4-2 lead.

The league's player and rookie of the year, Bison frosh Justin DeLuca [Mashpee, Mass.], earned another point for his team with a straight set win at No. 1 singles, although Martin managed more games against the young foe this time. Isch encountered a different opponent this time out, as Daniel Young [Washington Depot, Conn.] edged the first-year Seahawk to even the score at 4-4.

After dropping the first set (4-6), Masso began his rally with a 6-2 score in the second set to force a deciding third set. His serve was broken at the beginning, but then the senior won the next three games for a 3-1 lead and the serve. Drucker broke Masso's serve and held for 3-all.

Drucker broke again and served for the match at 5-4 in the third. Masso broke the freshman's serve, held his own and broke again for the final match point.

"What a feeling!" said first-year head coach Joe Heckley. "Our guys played with lots of confidence. We knew we only needed to change two outcomes from the first meeting and we got one right away with Brian and Aaron. Chad just continues to roll, and Zach stepped up big time."

On Masso's resurrection: "Steve played like a veteran. Drucker is an outstanding player, but Steve just willed himself to victory."

Salve Regina won its eighth straight match to improve to 12-10 overall. The Seahawks meet top-seeded Roger Williams University in the championship match Saturday (1 p.m. in Bristol), the third straight final featuring the two schools. The Hawks won the regular-season meeting, 7-2, on April 7 in Bristol.