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Titans Suffer Narrow Loss To Knights In Season Opener

Jason AlexanderAidan SauberlichMauricio Gonzalez won the ninth and decisive contest as Carleton College (Minn.) pulled out a 5-4 victory over the UW-Oshkosh men's tennis team on Saturday (Feb. 4) at the Oshkosh YMCA Tennis Center.

Gonzalez spoiled UW-Oshkosh's 2012 season opener with his 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Adam Kasper (Jr. • Franklin) at No. 5 singles. The Titans forced the pivotal battle when Jason Alexander (So. • Fond du Lac) rallied to post a 2-6, 6-1 (12-10) victory over Ben Huang at No. 6 singles.

UW-Oshkosh (0-1) grabbed the early lead by winning two of three doubles matches. The Titans took their advantage on an 8-6 victory by Bobby Brooks (So. • Neenah) and Kevin Lewis (So. • Howard) over Paul Cooper and Peter Dunn in the first flight and an 8-3 win by Josh Hopfensperger (So. • Neenah) and Scott Niemi (Sr. • Appleton) over Gonzalez and Huang in the third.

Carleton College (2-0), which has defeated 19 of its last 24 opponents, tallied its lone doubles victory in the second flight. That contest featured Austin Jiang and Avery Rux marking an 8-4 win over Kasper and Aidan Sauberlich (Fr. • Green Bay).

UW-Oshkosh notched its final team point on Sauberlich's 6-3, 7-5 victory over Nelson Wolf at No. 4 singles.

Other singles winners for the Knights were Andrew Hwang in the first flight, Dan Vollman in the second and Matthew Ta in the third. Hwang defeated Brooks, 6-2, 6-4, while Vollman ousted Lewis, 6-1, 7-5. Ta posted a 6-2, 7-6 win over Niemi.

UW-Oshkosh squares off against Luther College (Iowa) and Wheaton College (Ill.) on Friday (Feb. 10) in Elkhorn.

Four Titans, Coach Davies Named To WIAC's All-Time Team

UW-Oshkosh was represented with five selections on the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (WIAC) Men’s Tennis All-Time Team. Vilas Cakans, Larry Gagnon, Robert Luedtke and Braugeor Zeitler were picked, along with coach Jim Davies, as part of the league's centennial anniversary celebration.

Davies guided UW-Oshkosh from 1965-90 and posted 267 victories. He captured nine conference titles during 1965-73 and 1975. Competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Titans finished third in the country during 1968 and fifth during 1971.

Cakans only played two seasons (1967-68), but he won the league singles title both years and finished his career unbeaten during conference singles play. In 1968, Cakans earned All-America honors by advancing to the semifinals of the NAIA Championship. He also won the WIAC doubles crown in 1968.

The Titans won the WIAC championship in each of Gagnon’s four years (1971-73, 1975). He was the league’s singles medalist in both 1973 and 1975, totaling a career record of 101-24. Gagnon helped UW-Oshkosh to a fourth-place finish in the NAIA during 1973. He capped his run with style, booking a 31-2 singles record during his senior campaign.

Luedtke (1968-71) lets his numbers tell the story, as he compiled an 88-0 record in WIAC matches. His career featured a 44-0 league mark in both singles and doubles contests. He won the WIAC singles crown in 1970 and 1971, while advancing to the national tournament each of his four years.

Another two-time league champion, Zeitler (1960-63) won WIAC singles gold in 1961 and 1963. His doubles squad took first place at the league meet during 1960, and he helped UW-Oshkosh to conference championships in 1960 and 1962.

Among the 12 players on the all-time team, UW-Whitewater owned Eric Arvold (1983-86), Jake Macey (2010), Erik Scanlan (2008-10), Jim Winkler (1983-86) and Lee Woyahn (1975-79). UW-La Crosse’s Brian Dunk (1994-95) and Bob Hehli (1994-97) were chosen, along with UW-Stout’s Rob Oertel (1983-86).

The WIAC is recognizing the outstanding individuals from the league's 100-year history. All-time teams are being selected in those men's and women's sports that have been classified as "championship" sports at some point since 1913. Additional teams will be released on a weekly basis throughout much of the 2011-12 academic year. 

All-time team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet in Madison on Aug. 4, 2012.

More information on the activities and events associated with the WIAC Centennial is available at www.wiacsports.com.