West Windsor, NJ -The Wagner College men's tennis team fell in a controversial and heartbreaking semifinal match 4-1 vs LIU at the NEC Tennis Championships on Friday.

Looking to turn around a 4-3 setback at Long Island a week earlier, the Seahawks lost an excruciatingly close doubles point which might have made the difference.

Junior Pablo Rodriguez and freshman Eddie Schmidt were dominant in a 6-1 victory on court #2. Graduates Carlos Rodriguez and Gabriele Zugarelli struggled to get traction in a 6-3 loss on court #1. 

Freshman Damian Janiszewski and graduate Antoine Nivault battled into a tiebreaker on court #3. In the tiebreaker, the Seahawks thought they had a 5-4 lead when LIU senior Danila Ishchanka missed a groundstroke deep of the baseline. However, the umpire had other ideas, making the second of 4 overrules and 8 decisions he would make against Wagner on the day (1 against LIU). Assessed a point penalty for the call, Nivault and Janiszewski went from leading 5-4 to 4-6 down. LIU won the next point to win court #3, 7-6 (4) and the doubles point.

In singles, freshman Josh Zhao tied the match 1-1 with a 6-1, 7-5 win on court #6. However, freshman Eddie Schmidt was unable to replicate his win from a week before on court #2 over LIU's Philip Hilble. Hilble managed the gusty wind and sun like a veteran in a 6-2, 6-1 win for the Sharks.

NEC fall singles champion, Leon Harder, extended the lead to 3-1 for the Sharks with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Carlos Rodriguez at #1.

The Seahawks battled for another hour. On court #4, Janiszewski was down one break in a third set. On court #5, Nivault also battled into a third set, down an early break.

On court #3, Pablo Rodriguez was the object of the umpire's ire throughout a 7-5, 6-4 setback to Victor Sjostrom, reversing their result from a week earlier and clinching the match for LIU.

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