Stag Hen QF #2: No. 2 CMS vs No. 7 Skidmore
Match time: Friday, 10 a.m. PST
Match location: CMS
Round I of Stag Hen here we come! One of the season’s most storied tournaments is about to commence and we are here to give you daily coverage of the matches. Some previews are also in store as you can see below! Here we have a dual that very much favors CMS and will be a good indication as to where the Stags are as they begin their annual journey to Nationals. This is a tournament they have won several times and it goes without saying how advantageous having a tournament on your home courts can be. This match should give us all an idea as to whether they have the depth and talent to take out Bowdoin in the projected finals.
CMS Facts – DIIIWest
National Ranking: #6
Blog Power Ranking: #3
2019 so far: 7-0 with some statement DIII wins against Brandeis and Mary Washington
Biggest strength: Doubles. So far this season, they have yet to drop a doubles lead going into singles, which must be very relieving for Coach Settles considering dubs has been the Stag’s achilles heel as of late. With a strong doubles lineup and two of the best at #1 and #2, the Stags are always tough to beat and this year is no exception.
Biggest weakness: It seems that they are a bit weak, however, in the middle of their singles lineup, with some shuffling already occurring throughout the 4/5/6 range of the lineup. Throw in a couple losses in those spots and that could be seen as a small weakness for the Stags this year.
Why this match matters to CMS: This is a match to really get off to a good start and conserve energy in a tournament they desperately want to win at their home arena. With two matches in one day, quick work against a solid Skidmore team will tee up a barburner of a second round against Gustavus
Key to the match: Doubles will be huge in this one. If CMS wants to win this in decisive fashion, it will have to come in the form of a doubles sweep, as two quick singles wins should be up for grabs. With a doubles sweep in hand, look for two quick wins on the singles court for a quick 5-0 lead. However, with some shaky doubles, singles may have to be played out and longer matches will definitely be in store.
Why CMS will win this match: CMS is just the deeper and more talented team in this encounter. A Stag Hen first rounder against CMS on their home courts is an uphill task for any team and I don’t see Skidmore pulling off the upset in this one.
Skidmore Facts – D3NE
National Ranking: #26
Blog Power Ranking: #30
2019 so far: 5-2 so far this spring, beating Vassar, St. Lawrence, RIT, NYU and Bard. The Thoroughbreds swept the last four teams, but are coming off two sweeps in the other direction at the hands of Middlebury and Bowdoin. CMS is definitely in the Midd/Bowdoin category, not Liberty League category…sorry Skid.
Biggest strength: Doubles. Skidmore’s lone point against Amherst came at #2 doubles, they played Bowdoin to two different tiebreakers at #1 and #2 doubles earlier this week, and they haven’t dropped a doubles match against any non-NESCAC teams so far this year. Doubles have been a strength for the T-Breds since the days of Jimmy Sherpa and Nick Tong, and something Coach Simms coaches quite well. As you’ll see shortly, if Skid is going to put up a fight in this match it MUST start with the doubles.
Biggest weakness: Depth. Outside of Williamson, no other T-Bred singles player has won a set against the likes of Amherst, Middlebury or Bowdoin. The entire bottom half of the lineup are underclassmen and I believe Travis Leaf is the only senior on the entire team. While CMS is very strong at the top with Parodi and Katzman, their depth has been another strength over the past decade, especially against teams ranked outside of the top-10. The bottom of the Skidmore lineup will likely struggle on Friday morning.
Why this match matters to Skidmore: The T-Breds have been on the outside of the national picture looking in for the past few years now. This used to be a perennial contender for the top-20 and would be a team you did not want to play at NCAAs. Now, they’re coming off a year in which they failed to make NCAAs for the first time in recent memory. A win in a match like this, where nobody believes they will win, is exactly what the program needs. Good luck…
Key to the match: Doubles. I know DIIIWest used the same key, but what can I say, it literally is THE key to the match. As I said above doubles is Skid’s strength, and has been for many years. Over the past few years, doubles have been a struggle for the Stags, although 2018 was much better than 2017. The only way I see this match staying interesting is if Skid can take a doubles lead. Just like with Southwestern and Bowdoin, maybe the new Stags buckle under their first taste of pressure? Unlike with Southwestern and Bowdoin, the team’s strengths actually fit the upset mold.
How Skidmore can win this match: Doubles sweep, Noah Williamson winning down at #4 singles, and scraping out one other point from somewhere else in the singles lineup. It won’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTIONS
DIIIWest: CMS def Skidmore 8-1
NE: CMS def Skidmore 8-1 (singles sweep)