AUGUSTA, ME - The No. 2 West seeded Alfred University men's tennis team took down the No. 1 East seeded Thomas College in the Empire 8 Semifinals on Friday at the Kennebec Valley Tennis Association courts.

The Saxons (14-5, 6-2 Empire 8), who now advance to the Empire Championship, defeated the Terriers (13-3, 5-0 Empire 8) 4-0 with three matches unfinished.

Breece Erickson (Goshen, IN / Bethany Christian) and André López Jiménez (Mexico City, Mexico, PrepaTec Esmeralda) notched the first doubles win for AU, taking a confident 6-0 victory at No. 2 doubles and extending their streak to 15. Ricardo Alvarez Janik (La Orotava, Spain / Colegio Casa Azul) and Anlun Zwerver (Koog Aan De Zaan, The Netherlands / Blaise Pascal College) delivered the doubles clinching point with their 6-3 win in their No. 1 doubles match.

In singles action, the Saxons saw their first point come by way of Zwerver with a 6-0, 6-2 victory at the No. 4 spot. López Jiménez followed, picking up a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles. After his doubles and singles victory, López Jiménez extended his program record to 37 total wins in a season. [Breece] Erickson, who currently occupies the number two spot for the program, clinched the shutout for AU as he took the No. 3 singles win in a tie breaker set, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. He now has  34 total wins on the season.

"Job's not done," said Head Coach Jake Fisler.

Alfred University now await the results of the No. 1 West seeded St. John Fisher University taking on the No. 2 East seeded Norwich University to determine who they will face in the championship match. First serve is slated for Saturday, May 2 at 1pm on the Kennebec Valley Tennis Association courts. 
 

—Swords Forward Saxons—