Toms River, NJ - OCC Vikings Men's Tennis opened their 2018-19 season with authority, picking up two wins against conference opponents.
The Vikings' first match of the season was on Tuesday, March 26th, when they traveled to Rowan College at Gloucester County to take on the defending Region XIX champion Roadrunners. Ocean proved more than the champions could handle, and came away with a 6-3 win. The first match win came from Ocean's 2nd Doubles team of Liam Raftery and Jack Schneider (8-5), followed by another from the 3rd Doubles pair of Yanir Shriki and Robby Fuggi (8-5). To complete the 3-match doubles sweep, Tim Kelleher and Sean Boyle topped RCGC's tandem by a 9-7 final to take the win in 1st Doubles. Three more match wins were collected by Sean Boyle (1st Singles): 6-3, 0-6, (13-11); Liam Raftery (2nd Singles): 6-2, 6-4; and Robby Fuggi (6th Singles): 6-3, 6-4. Fuggi's win occurred in his first-ever singles match, and proved decisive to the team's win. "This was the opportunity I'd been waiting for, to help my team capture a big win," remarked Fuggi. "I like to hit forehands hard, and the air in Gloucester County was perfect for me to mash my forehands and play my best."
Ocean's second match of the week (and home opener) was on Thursday, March 28th, when they welcomed Mercer County CC to campus. This matchup unfortunately suffered from multiple forfeits due to Mercer's incomplete roster, but that did nothing to dampen the spirit of play for all who were involved. Ocean's 1st and 2nd Doubles teams split, with #1 Sean Boyle and Tim Kelleher losing, 6-8, and #2 Liam Raftery and Jack Schneider winning, 8-0. The main event of the match was a 1st Singles battle between Ocean's Sean Boyle and Mercer's Alfred Kandakai, both successful junior players and friends with the potential for a great rivalry this season. The first set was tight, with a tie-breaking 7-6 win for Boyle, while in the second, Boyle managed a 6-3 victory against a hard-charging Kandakai. "I knew going in against Alfred that it was going to be a tough match," recounted Boyle. "We both gave it our all, and I was able to come out on top this time."
The Vikings return to action on Wednesday, April 3rd, when they host Brookdale Community College in a 3:30 p.m. matchup.