NE Weekend Preview: 4/5-4/6

NE Weekend Preview

First things first, I’ll admit that I’m coming back after a night out (A-South style) and I really wish I had been smart enough to write this preview earlier today. However the combination of the bar and Captain America (and then a quick stop in the bar again) made for a fairly awesome night. I highly recommend it (the movie). Not nearly as good as the Avengers, but up there with Iron Man and or the 2^nd Thor movie. Plus it does some pretty solid Marvel foreshadowing. ENOUGH JIBBER-JABBER! Ok NE faithful, as this is my 2^nd article of the day, and these matches will be starting in T-Minus 10 hours, I’m gonna cut the chit chat and get right to it. While this weekend may lack the luster of a top-5 matchup, there is still plenty of important tennis to be played. Here are the matches between power-ranked teams that are going down in the NE.

Non Conference Matchups

#17 GAC @ #2 Amherst 1pm Sat

D3Central and I already previewed this matchup, however now that we’ve seen GAC’s first few NE matchups I decided to a quick reevaluation. The Gusties have looked both strong and vulnerable at times over the past few days, handling MIT, eking out a 5-4 win against Tufts, and playing a tough Midd team to a 5-4 loss (though that was not as close as the score). While all that is well and good, the Jeffs seem to be on a different level than any of the aforementioned teams. I’m sticking with my original prediction and saying the Jeffs take care of business, 7-2.

If Amherst were Captain America Character: Nick Fury

#11 Bowdoin @ #35 MIT 4pm Sat

D3AS tweeted a great question at Edwin Zhang the other day “what’s going on at MIT?” After no constructive answer was given and some pleasantries were exchanged, the question still remains. On paper, MIT should be better than they are. However, we all know that college tennis is more than just stars, and sometimes a heavy academic workload can cripple an athlete. D3AS has a well thought out theory on teams from research institutions, but that’s for another time. Unless MIT has just finished their midterms and are more relaxed than their morning calculator sync, Bowdoin should roll out of Cambridge with no worse than a 6-3 win.

If Bowdoin were a Captain America character: Winter Soldier

If MIT were a Captain America character: Maria Hill

#37 Skidmore @ #2 Amherst 2pm Sunday

If you were worried about MIT falling off the map, then this Skidmore team should have you running for the hills. They have already played a lot of NE talent, and they have been dealt a loss on each of those occasions. Nothing about the Thoroughbreds 5-4 loss to RPI has turned me into a Skid Kid, and until this team gets a healthy Loutsenko back they simply cannot contend (another sidenote, RPI Womens Tennis can be my Natasha Romanoff any day). I’ll be interested to see how long Oliver holds his high regional ranking. If he comes back for conference play, how would the committee handle his status? If (praise be) he does play singles this weekend, he has nothing to lose going up against Fritz. If (and yes, that’s kind of a big “if”) Amherst plays the majority of their lineup this Sunday, they will have no trouble with Skidmore. I’m taking Amherst, 8-1.

If Skidmore were a Captain America character: Sharon Carter

NESCAC Matchups

#26 Tufts @ #8 Williams 1pm Sat

Alrighty then, now we get to the heart of the weekend, and the beginnings of NESCAC play. We all know Williams’ story, defending champs, graduated 5, tons of heart, blah blah blah. But this Tufts team, woah baby! The Jumbos are hungry for another NESCACs birth and are coming off two great results (8-1 win over Wesleyan, and 4-5 loss to GAC). I’ve been hearing whispers from my region that this could be a possible upset match. As Mr. Corso would say, “not so fast my friend”. Williams just beat Pomona and Redlands, and I just don’t care that they were close matches. What happened when Tufts played Pomona? They got destroyed 7-2 by a Pomona team that didn’t start all its guys. Williams doubles will be too strong for the Jumbos, with or without Telkedzhiev. If Tufts do get both Glickman and Telkedzhiev back, this could be a closer match. However, since we have yet to see JG this spring, I’m assuming that he will not play here. I’m taking Williams to sweep the doubles, and take the majority of the singles matches as well. Williams, 7-2.

If Tufts were a Captain America character: Black Widow

If Williams were a Captain America character: Captain America

#38 Wesleyan @ #28 Colby 10am Sunday

The 2^nd and final important NESCAC match of the weekend comes out of Waterville, Maine (there’s a sentence I didn’t think I would have to say this year). Upstart Colby hosts a devastatingly disappointing Cardinals team who will have to do a lot to re-earn my trust. This win would be a good start, and could possibly get the Cards into the ITA rankings. Both teams need this match to help solidify themselves in the chase for a NESCAC playoff birth. Wesleyan’s doubles are always a bit suspect, and I see the Mules taking a lead into singles. From there I like Reid over Roberts in a battle of supremely talented frosh, and I’ll give Colby one more point from somewhere in that mysterious lineup. HOWEVER, I’m sticking with my boys and going with the Cards in what I would now have to call a mini upset, 5-4.

If Wesleyan were a Captain America character: Alexander Pierce

If Colby were a Captain America character: Falcon