Scots Aiming for Top-Four NCAC Finish for Eighth Year In a Row

Dave Albrechta

After closing the regular season this Monday, April 21, against No. 26 ranked Denison University, The College of Wooster will turn its focus to the weekend’s North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, where it will look to close out the 2008 campaign on a positive note. The Fighting Scots have finished among the top-four in the conference seven consecutive seasons, but will have their work cut out to continue that streak, as they’ll likely enter this tourney as the No. 6 seed. This year’s event will be hosted by Oberlin College Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27. Kenyon College, ranked 11th nationally, is the defending champion and top seed, while Denison owns the most NCAC titles with 12. Wooster is the only other school with an NCAC championship, having won it four times (1985, 1989, 1990, 1996). Last spring, the Scots cruised past Ohio Wesleyan University 5-0 in the quarterfinals and then fell to Denison 5-1 in the semis and to Allegheny College 5-2 in the third-place match.

Last Week: Wooster split a pair of conference matches, pushing its records to 6-12 overall and 2-4 in the NCAC.

On April 15, the Scots lost to nationally-ranked Kenyon by an 8-1 count. Earning Wooster’s team point was freshman Ethan Arenstein (Cincinnati, Ohio / Sycamore), who upended his foe at No. 5 singles 7-5, 6-2.

On April 19, the Scots used their depth to get past visiting Wittenberg University 6-3 in a match that helped improve their seeding for the NCAC Tournament. Wooster lost in close matches at the top of the doubles and singles lineups, but produced convincing victories in six of the seven other matches. At No. 2 doubles, Dave Albrechta (Fremont, Ohio / Fremont Ross) and Arenstein teamed up for an 8-3 decision over their opponents, while Rob Ashmead (Grand Rapids, Mich. / City) and Andrew Garnett (Boulder, Colo. / Fairview) cruised to an 8-2 triumph at No. 3. After falling 8-6 in the first doubles match, Grant D’Augustine (Cincinnati, Ohio / Turpin) and Pat Grab (Erie, Pa. / Cathedral Prep) came back for 6-3, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1 wins at second and third singles, respectively. Jeremy Dominik (Saint Marys, Ohio / Memorial) and Chris Collen (Granville, Ohio / Granville) also prevailed in straight sets, with Dominik dropping just two games at No. 4 (6-0, 6-2) and Collen shutting out his foe in the second after a close first one (7-5, 6-0).