POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (March 31, 2018) -- The Vassar College men's tennis team led 4-3 with two matches to be completed, but visiting Ithaca College rallied to earn a 5-4 Liberty League victory over the Brewers in action from Joss Courts Saturday afternoon. 

The Brewers (5-8, 3-2 Liberty League) fell behind early on, as Minos Stavrakas and Colten Lavery of Ithaca College pushed past Robin Drummond and Jamie Anderson at No. 2 doubles, 8-2. VC evened the match score at one thanks to yet another win from the top Brewer pair of Adam Krueger and Jeremy Auh. The freshman/sophomore duo knocked off Sam McGrath and Lorenzo Viguie-Ramos 8-2, improving to 4-1 in the Liberty League and 9-6 overall this season.

Vassar earned the all-important swing doubles point at No. 3, as freshman Nicolas Demaria and junior Nick Zuczek were reunited again to earn a hard-fought 8-6 victory. The pair is now 6-3 on the season, and undefeated at 3-0 in conference action. 

The Bombers (3-6, 3-2 Liberty) deadlocked the match with the first decision of singles' play, as Sam Fried defeated Demaria 6-3, 7-5 to make the score 2-2. Ithaca regained its lead at 3-2 at No. 6 singles, thanks to a Viguie-Ramos 6-1, 6-2 victory over Zamir Birnbach from Vassar. 

The host Brewers didn't go away though, as Auh shook off a 6-2 loss in the opening set to earn a gritty 7-5 win in the second set to send the match to the third set. In the deciding stanza, Auh was in control from the get-go, picking up the 6-1 decision to tie the match at three to stay undefeated in Liberty League play this season at 5-0. 

VC once again went ahead thanks to a 6-2, 7-6 (1) win at No. 4 singles by Anderson, who moved to 6-3 at the No. 4 spot this season. The final two matches would each be thrillers, but unfortunately for the Brewers, both would go to the Bombers to help the visitors claim the match. 

Ithaca tied the match at four with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win by McGrath over Krueger at No. 2, and then saw Stavrakas rally from down a set after a 6-4 first set win for freshman David Gandham of Vassar. In the second set, Stavrakas evened the match at with a 6-3 win, and then won six of the seven games in the third set to clinch the upset for IC. 

Vassar will now head to the Boston area next weekend, taking on No. 26 MIT Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Cambridge, MA before battling No. 15 Tufts University Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in Medford, MA.