Box Score
ERIE, Pa. – J.J. Cooke hand-delivered a PSAC regular-season championship to head coach Tina Tharp and the West Chester Golden Rams with a 6-3, 6-3 win at sixth singles Saturday afternoon that lifted the Rams to a 5-4 victory over host Mercyhurst.
West Chester (8-8, 4-0 PSAC) has now won seven in a row and eight of its last nine as the Golden Rams’ dominance in the spring season continues. The Golden Rams clinched the top seed in the upcoming PSAC postseason tournament for the first time in school history and will be making their first playoff appearance since 2003.
West Chester started out strong, sweeping the doubles competition. Chaz Irwin and Patrick McGinley were 8-6 winners at first doubles, while Cody Leimback and Wanzell Flemming were 9-7 winners at second doubles. David Goldenberg and Steve Hlava picked up an 8-5 win at third doubles, and it looked as though the Golden Rams were in control.
When Goldenberg secured a 6-1, 6-0 win at fourth singles, West Chester was up 4-0 and in need of just one more win. However, Merchurst claimed wins at first, second, third and fifth singles to tie the match at 4-apiece.
“It was another big win for the men,” WCU head coach Tina Tharp said. “When (Goldenberg) won, were were up, 4-0. But, it was a very tight match all day. I knew it was going to be close. That’s just the type of match it was the whole way through.”
West Chester moves on to play Edinboro on Sunday in its final conference tilt of the year. A win over the Scots would secure West Chester’s first undefeated league slate since the conference went to team won-loss records in 2004.
