Men’s Tennis Starts 2022 Season with Weekend Action

SUFFOLK at EASTERN NAZARENE
Date Time Venue Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	March 25, 2022 3:00 PM ENC Tennis Courts Quincy, Mass. 0-1 (Since 2009) April 6, 2019, L, 9-0 Never L1

SUFFOLK at CURRY
Date Time Venue Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	March 26, 2022 12:00 PM Trent J. Scott '96 Tennis Courts Milton, Mass. 5-1 (Since 2009) March 28, 2018, W, 5-4 Same W1

BOSTON – The 2022 Suffolk men's tennis schedule kicks off on the road this weekend, as the Rams will travel to Eastern Nazarene and Curry March 25-26. To kick things off, the blue-and-gold will clash with the Lions Friday in Quincy, Massachusetts at 3 p.m., before competing in the program's first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) contest at the Colonels home court Saturday at 12 p.m.

SOCIAL SAYINGS
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RAPID REWIND
The Suffolk men's tennis team returns to action after a two-year hiatus due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In their last full season in the spring of 2019, the Rams posted a 3-11 overall record, finishing 1-4 in GNAC action. 

The 2019 campaign was highlighted by the Rams' 8-1 thumping of Norwich, which was the largest margin of the three wins. Since then, Suffolk has been patiently waiting for its  chance to compete and will now do so as part of the CCC.

RAMS ROSTER
Suffolk's roster will hold eight in the spring season, including five returners and three newcomers.

RAMS ROOKIES
After two seasons away from action due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Suffolk men's tennis team welcomes three newcomers to Scott Blanchard's squad for its long-awaited return to action.

The trio of sophomores Matthew Gallego and Juan Velasquez and freshman Milind Kulkarni, will accompany five returners from last year's roster.

MORE READING: Three Newcomers Enhance 2022 Men's Tennis Roster

RAMS RINGLEADER
Senior Hasan Esrawi has been tabbed to lead the men's tennis squad back onto the court after two seasons away from play as the 2022 captain. 

The Braintree, Massaschusetts native is a four-year member of the team, and will get his first action in since his freshman season. In his first campaign, Esrawi gained valuable experience in both singles and doubles play.

GEOGRAPHY 101
One international Ram, from Mexico, joins seven United States locals on the roster in 2022.

The U.S. natives include five New Englanders, with a trio hailing from the Bay State, one Rhode Islander, and a Connecticut product. The west coast is represented by a Ram from Los Angeles, California, with the last student-athlete coming to Beantown from Forest Hills, New York.

CLASS CATEGORIES
Three seniors, a pair of juniors and sophomores each, and a freshman make up the roster, by class.

AT THE HELM
Scott Blanchard was named interim head coach for the blue-and-gold during the off-season and begins his first season with the program in 2022.

Blanchard has served as the head coach for the Rams' women's volleyball team since 2018 and has helped raise the bar, including coaching the team to its winningest season in 2020.

FIRST SERVCE

• The Rams will look to even out their opening day record, having posted a 5-6 record in the first match of the season since 2009.
• Suffolk also seeks to return to the win column in season debuts after dropping the last four in a row. 
• The last campaign-opening victory came on March 26, 2015, when the Rams handled cross-town rival Wentworth, 5-4.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Suffolk men's tennis appeared eighth in its first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Preseason Poll after vote by the league's nine head coaches.

MORE READING: Men's Tennis Selected Eighth in CCC Coaches' Preseason Poll

LIONS LOOK
Eastern Nazarene carried a 4-1 fall ledger into its spring calendar that started back in February, with a 7-2 win in an indoor contest against Gordon. 

Following the Massachusetts matchup, the Lions took to the Sunshine State for a four-match spring break trip, in which they failed to register a win, to bring a 5-5 record into Friday.

Diego Rodriguez and Carlos Sanchez serve as the top tandem in doubles action. The pair has combined for a 6-5 overall record.  

In singles, Rodrigues has played the bulk of the action in the one spot, while his doubles teammate Sanchez has proven to be the most successful singles player with a 6-3 mark scattered on the lower half of the ladder.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Friday's match with Eastern Nazarene will be the second meeting between both programs since 2009.
• In the sole matchup to this point, April 6, 2019, the Lions downed Suffolk 9-0. 

COLONELS CORRAL
The Colonels also went winless in Florida to open their season as they were shutout by Millsaps, Colby Sawyer, and Macalester. Upon returning to New England, Curry earned its first point of the season, in an 8-1 setback in a non-league affair at Bridgewater State. 

Before taking on the Rams in conference play Saturday, the Colonels will get one final non-conference tune-up in with a trip to Rhode Island College set for Thursday, March 24.

Lorenzo Russo holds the top spot in singles action, while sharing a position in the top doubles duo with Nicholas Bell.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Since 2009, the Rams are 5-1 all-time in meetings with the Colonels.
• Suffolk narrowly won the last showdown, 5-4, March 28, 2018.
• There has been on shutout in the six games since 2009. The Rams blanked the Colonels, 9-0, April 23, 2012.
• Dating back to 2009, Suffolk is 3-1 at Curry and is unbeaten as the home team (2-0).  

WHAT'S AHEAD?
Following the first weekend of play, Suffolk will continue CCC play Tuesday, March 29 when it heads meets Wentworth. The Rams and Leopards will battle at Curry's Trent J. Scott '96 Tennis Courts at 3:30 p.m.