Box Score Canton, NY – A recurring theme dating back almost two-years for the Red Dragon men's tennis team is they compete closely with everyone but at the crucial moments they let the big points go.  This recurring theme reared its ugly head again today. 

Oneonta's doubles teams at flights one and two were each up breaks in their respective matches but neither of the pairings could keep the break and both were setback.  Senior  Nicholas Fox (Commack/Commack) and junior Marco Ammirati (Huntington/Huntington) were up in their doubles matchup in the first position but was broken late in the match and were forced into a tiebreak eventually being set back 8-7 (7-4).  At the second position newcomer freshman Dalton Capobianco (Daniel Island, SC/SC Connections Charter School) and sophomore Riley Smith (Westhampton Beach/Westhampton Beach) were up 4-3 and a break and also could not maintain the lead suffering a lose 8-5.

In singles the Red Dragons were in a hole down 0-3 but fought back threatening to deadlock the match at 3-3.  Ammirati won the first set but ran out of gas taking a three-set lose 6-4, 3-6, 1-6.  Fox at number two singles was playing incredibly sound poised tennis and won the big points also taking the first set 7-5.  The St. Lawrence opponent though fought back to tie the match at one-set each.   Fox never got going in the super-tiebreaker and lost 7-5, 2-6 (3-10).  In the most exciting match of the afternoon Capobianco dropped the first set 2-6.  He then steadied his game and won the second set easily 6-1 and was up 4-1 in the third set needing just two games to take the third flight singles match.  It wasn't to be as the more experienced junior from St. Lawrence pushed back and won the match 2-6, 6-1, 6-7 (5-7).

With this setback the Red Dragon men are now 1-1 in this young season.   Next up is nationally ranked Hobart College with a match on Saturday, February 23^rd beginning at 12 noon on the campus of Hobart.