Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

AURORA, Ill. - Binghamton men's tennis came within a few points of completing a fairy tale championship run but fellow SUNY Center Buffalo prevailed 4-2 in the MAC championship Saturday afternoon at the Vaughn Indoor Tennis Center.

The Bearcats were bidding to seize a title in their first year in the conference after claiming seven consecutive crowns in the America East. Instead, one year after suffering their own heartbreaking loss in the finals, the Bulls will advance to the NCAA Championship.

Head coach Nick Zieziula's squad roared out of the gates, grabbing the doubles point and then taking a 2-0 lead when junior No. 1 Sid Hazarika was first off the singles courts with a 6-2, 6-2 win. But the Bulls responded with wins at two, four and five, to take a 3-2 lead. The Bearcats held leads in the final two matches, needing to win both to pull off the victory. But Buffalo won six straight games in the third set at No. 6, to clinch the crown. Binghamton had won the first set at both No. 5 and No. 6 but couldn't close out either match. Senior No. 3 Ismael Dinia was moments away from winning his match when it was halted.

Hazarika and Dinia were selected to the All-Championship team.

Dinia and classmate Robin Lesage end their stellar careers with 148 combined singles wins. Hazarika won seven of his last nine singles matches at the top spot to conclude his junior season with 16 wins.

Despite the sting of the championship loss, the Bearcats will still bring home runnerup honors after outlasting 23-time MAC champion Western Michigan in the semifinals. The second place showing capped a remarkable turnaround for a Bearcats team that lost 14 straight matches and was mired in last place in the MAC standings in early April. Binghamton won six of its final eight matches. 

MAC Men's Tennis All-Tournament Team
Ismael Dinia, Binghamton
Sid Hazarika, Binghamton
Pablo Alvarez, Buffalo (Most Outstanding Player)
Amar Hromic, Buffalo
Tom Hjertonsson, NIU
Jefta Kecic, Western Michigan

Final: Buffalo 4, Binghamton 2

DOUBLES
No. 1: Hannestad/Arevalillo (UB) def. Lesage/Hureau (BU), 6-4
No. 2: Dinia/Shah (BU) def. Hromic/Alvarez (UB), 6-2
No. 3: Hazarika/Kote (BU) def. David/Mehta (UB), 7-5

Order of finish: 2, 1, 3

SINGLES
No. 1: Sid Hazarika (BU) def. Damien David (UB), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2: Pablo Alvarez (UB) def. Robin Lesage (BU), 7-6, 6-3
No. 3: Sebastian Ionescu (UB) vs. Ismael Dinia (BU), DNF 6-7, 4-5
No. 4: Jonathan Hannestad (UB) def. Eliott Hureau (BU), 7-5, 6-4
No. 5: Amar Hromic (UB) def. Thomas Caputo (BU), 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
No. 6: Sergio Arevalillo (UB) def. Frenk Kote (BU), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

Order of finish: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6