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Apr 25, 2009

MIT Captures 11th Consecutive Conference Title Behind 5-1 Win Against Babson

NORTON, MA- The top-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) men's tennis team remained the lone squad in the 11-year history of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) to capture the postseason tournament crown, as the Engineers knocked off number-two Babson College, 5-1 in Saturday afternoon's final round at Wheaton College's Clark Tennis Courts.
 
MIT, which had also defeated the Beavers during the finals in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2008, improved to 16-2, while Babson saw its season end with a 10-11 record.
 
Each team won handily during a doubles match, with Babson juniors Alex Kamergorodsky (Millis, MA/Needham) and Brian Lafayette (Burlington, VT/Burlington) combining for an 8-4 triumph in the first position and MIT senior Peden Nichols (Great Falls, VA/Thomas Jefferson) and freshman Samuel Harmatz (Huntingdon Valley, PA/Lower Moreland) corralling an 8-2 win at three.
 
In the second slot, the Engineers broke the deadlock when senior David Iba (Lexington, MA/Lexington) and freshman Brian Wee (Woodbury, NY/Syosset) captured a 9-7 tiebreaker to win their match by a 9-8 count against junior Moises Numa (Tallahassee, FL/Pinellas Park Senior) and freshman Justin Albert (Newton, MA/Newton South).
 
While three close singles matches were occurring, MIT clinched the title when a trio of players notched straight-set wins. Sophomore Kevin Pang (Torrance, CA/California Academy of Math and Science) posted a 6-3, 6-4 win in the first position, Harmatz picked up a 6-2, 6-0 victory at four, and senior Jonathan Farm's (Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) 6-2, 6-4 triumph in the sixth spot was the fifth and final Engineer victory.
 
In the fifth slot, Lafayette held a one-set advantage before Nichols rallied all the way back, leading 3-0 in the third set when the match was decided. Wee led junior Ken Lin (Cavendish Heights, Hong Kong/Milton Academy), 4-0 in the third set at three, and Engineer sophomore Ken Van Tilburg (Kapellen, Belgium/Sint-Michielscollege Brasschaat) was one game shy of knotting his match in the second position with Albert.