Courtesy Middlebury Athletic Communications

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Bowdoin won its first NESCAC Men’s Tennis Championship with a dramatic 5-4 win at Middlebury. The Polar Bears earn the league’s automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Tournament, while Middlebury will hope for an at-large berth.

The Panthers, who were looking for their fifth straight NESCAC title, found themselves trailing 2-1 after doubles play. Middlebury tied the match with a win at #3 singles by Andrew Thomson over Alex Caughron, 6-1, 6-1. Bowdoin regained the lead as Stephen Sullivan was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Filip Marinkovic in the #2 slot. The lead extended to 4-2 as Garrett Gates earned a 6-4, 7-5 win in a tight #1 singles match over Middlebury’s Andrew Lee.

Bowdoin needed just one of three singles matches remaining for the win, and had taken the first set in two of the three contests. Middlebury’s Andrew Peters defeated Jamie Neely at #4 singles 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to bring the Panthers within one at 4-3. After dropping the first set 7-6 (12), Rich Bonfiglio of Middlebury battled back to pick up 6-2, 6-4 wins over Alex White at #6 singles to tie the match at 4-4.

The final contest between Tyler Anderson of Bowdoin and Middlebury’s Peter O’Dell went to a third set after Anderson took the first set 6-3, and O’Dell was a 7-6 (5) winner in a second set tie-breaker. The final match of the day saw back and forth play, as Anderson pulled out a 6-4 win to clinch the NESCAC title for Bowdoin.

No. 4 Bowdoin 5, vs. No. 2 Middlebury 4

Doubles
1 - Garrett Gates/Alex Caughron (Bowdoin) def. Filip Marinkovic/Andrew Thomson (Middlebury) – 8-2
2 - Stephen Sullivan/Jamie Neely (Bowdoin) def. Chris Mason/Andrew Lee (Middlebury) – 8-5
3 - Rich Bonfiglio/Andrew Peters (Middlebury) def. Tyler Anderson/Alex White (Bowdoin) – 8-4

Singles
1 - Garrett Gates (Bowdoin) def. Andrew Lee (Middlebury) – 6-4, 7-5
2 - Stephen Sullivan (Bowdoin) def. Filip Marinkovic (Middlebury) – 6-1, 6-4
3 - Andrew Thomson (Middlebury) def. Alex Caughron (Bowdoin) – 6-1, 6-1
4 - Andrew Peters (Middlebury) def. Jamie Neely (Bowdoin) – 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
5 - Tyler Anderson (Bowdoin) def. Peter O’Dell (Middlebury) – 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4
6 - Rich Bonfiglio (Middlebury) def. Alex White (Bowdoin) – 6-7 (12), 6-2, 6-4