Panthers Men’s Tennis Cruises to Victory Against York College

By Brandon Cruz

The Panthers Men’s Tennis team (8-3) defeated the York College Cardinals (0-10) 6-0, winning their third straight game on April 24.

Isaac Spottek, serving, finished the singles competition with a 6-0 sweep in two sets. (Photo by Brandon Cruz)

In doubles competition, the Panthers swept the Cardinals. Freshman Issac Spottek and sophomore Dexter Pretnar swept their doubles match 6-0, defeating junior Sangay Yoezer and freshman Michael Martey in the first match. In the second match, seniors Steve Mains and Andrew Agosto beat sophomore Altenor Molien and junior Abubakar Khamis 6-2.

In singles competition, Spottek and freshman Ryan Hobson completed a clean 6-0 sweep in two sets. Pretnar earned a 6-1, 6-1 win, Mains a 6-0, 6-1 win, and senior Andrew Agosto finished the day with a 6-1, 6-2 win.

“Everybody took care of what they needed to take care of,” Panthers Head Coach Jordan Snider said. “We were able to use our full team today, so it was good to see some guys play that don’t always get to play and come out focused.”

Hobson focused on playing his own game and staying confident throughout the match.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Hobson said. “I didn’t know if they were going to play really good or bad, but I just told myself to play the way that I’m going to play. I had moved up a position; normally, I would play sixth, but now I’m playing fifth, but everything went well.”

Dexter Pretnar finished with wins in both singles and doubles competition. (Photo by Brandon Cruz)

Agosto highlighted how in-game communication has become a key part of the team’s rhythm and energy this season.

“Something that we’ve been seeing recently, especially this season with this team, is just trying to talk to each other while we’re playing our matches and during the points,” Agosto said. “Sometimes you’ll hear me say, ‘What up, Dexter,’ or ‘Nice point,’ and that keeps the team morale up during the match.”

After his singles and doubles matches, Yoezer acknowledged Purchase’s preparation and credited their discipline on the court.

“It was a tough match for us,” Yoezer said. “We came prepared, but they are a very well-trained group.”

Despite a challenging season from the Cardinals, which left them with another winless season, Molien emphasized the team’s focus on improvement throughout the struggles.

Steve Mains (orange) waiting on a serve from Altenor Molien (red). (Photo by Brandon Cruz)

“Our mindset is growth,” Molien said. “As a team, that’s what we’ve been trying to do against all complications. Each match, we always grow.”

“The dynamic has always been there; we just need to tighten up every single game,” he continued. “We have a lot of seniors, but we overcome every obstacle, and we’re going to continue fighting.”

Now 8-3 and riding a three-game winning streak, the Panthers look to stay hot heading into their final regular season game against the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

“The playoffs are going to be tough,” Pretnar said. “It’s going to be a tough one tomorrow, but I think we just have to go in there being confident in our own playing, and just play the tennis that we know how to play.”

“We’re ready,” Snider said. “We’ve been preparing all year, all spring. The last two weeks we’ve had a ton of matches, but this is what it’s about. This is what we prepare for.”