MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Bowdoin returned to the NCAA Regional Finals after a one-year absence with a 5-0 win over M.I.T. (14-5) Saturday at Middlebury College. The Polar Bears (13-6), who will be making their fourth regional final appearance in the last five seasons, will take on the winner of the Middlebury/Stevens match on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
Bowdoin jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead behind three doubles wins, two of them convincingly. The #1 doubles match was tight, with Stephen Sullivan and Oscar Pena edging Matt Skalak and Ken VanTilburg in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (4).
The Polar Bears took a 4-0 advantage when Sullivan made quick work of Edwin Zhang, 6-1, 6-3 at #1 singles. Bowdoin sealed the match at #4, when Pena topped Larry Pang, 6-4, 6-2 to put the Polar Bears in the Regional Final. Bowdoin was up a set in three of the other four singles matches, with M.I.T.'s Matt Skalak taking the first set at #6 singles 7-5 over Michael Power.
Bowdoin 5, MIT 0
Doubles
1. Sullivan/Pena (B) def. Matt Skalak/VanTilburg (M) – 9-8 (4)
2. King/Lord (B) def. Pang/Curtis Wu (M) – 8-2
3. Kent Winingham/Grindon (B) def. Wheeler/Cooper (M) – 8-4
Singles
1. Stephen Sullivan (B) def. Edwin Zhang (M) – 6-1, 6-3
2. Samuel King (B) led Ken Van Tilburg (M) – 6-3, 4-3
3. Chris Lord (B) led Brian Oldfield (M) – 6-4, 2-1
4. Oscar Pena (B) def. Larry Pang (M) – 6-4, 6-2
5. Casey Grindon (B) led Curtis Wu (M) – 7-5, 1-0
6. Skalak (M) led Michael Power (B) – 7-5, 0-0
