Box Score Canton, NY – The SUNY Oneonta Men's Tennis began their season with new hope and promise as they went on the road to play a very strong St. Lawrence University Saints squad.  The Red Dragons left Canton, NY with an 8-1 loss but with a great effort providing optimism for the season ahead.
 
Doubles play opened up with the number one doubles team of senior Mackenzie Park (Elmira/Elmira Free Academy) and senior Benjamin Leighton (Shokan/Onteora) coming up with an overpowering win with an 8-3 score.  Park and Leighton made big serves and broke serve twice and were never threatned on route to victory.  At number two doubles the team of junior Matthew Richards (Bayport/Bayport Bluepoint) and sophomore Matteo Beffi kept things close and were in position to win, but a late break could not be overcome and the team utlimatley fell 5-8.
 
With two new freshman in the lineup and going into the singles phase down 1-2 the new look Red Dragons kept the match tight but the Saints had too much firepower for the Red Dragons to overcome.  Number one SUNY Oneonta singles player Ben Leighton pushed his opponent to a tiebreaker in the first set going up 2-0 in the breaker but could not hold the lead falling 6-7 (2-7), 6-3.  At number two singles Mackenzie Park (Elmira/Elmira Free Academy) dropped the first set 1-6 and kept the match tight in the second set but ultimatly dropping the match 1-6, 4-6. 
 
Two Red Dragon highlights saw the return of Matteo Beffi to both the doubles and singles lineup after missing a year of play valiently shaking off the rust from a long layoff and played great tennis in a tough loss at number five singles.  Freshman Zach Lasky (Colonie/Colonie) at number six won the first set but could not get over the hump losing 6-1, 3-6 and 7-10 in a close third set super tiebreaker.
 
Despite the score to a very strong St.Lawrence squad,  Coach Mitchel see's reason for optimism in this young season and expects the Red Dragons to have a very solid spring campaign.
 
The Red Dragons will be back on the road next Saturday, February 28^th when they play Hobart College at 12 noon on the campus of Hobart/William Smith in the Briston Fieldhouse.