Written by Brett Brannon. Media by Joe Hubbs.
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The GC Men wrapped up a very strong 2014 campaign with a 5-0 defeat of Webster University, in the SLIAC Conference 3rd place match. The day before, the Panthers fell just short of reaching the championship match by losing a hard fought 5-4 match, at the hands of the Westminster College Bluejays. The week before, the Panthers had lost a 6-3 decision to Westminster.
Despite the tough loss the day before, the Panthers showed great toughness and character against Webster. They had narrowly defeated the Gorlocks in a 5-4 match two weeks ago. This matchup would be a different story. The Panthers were able to sweep all three doubles matches, capped off by an exciting comeback by the #1 team of Alex Dowley and Jon Urshan. They trailed throughout the match, but finished strong and won by a score of 9-8. Seniors Naoya Uematsu and Ryan Haas put an exclamation mark on their doubles careers by earning an 8-4 victory at #2 doubles. Demetrius Bush and Code Power finished off one of the most impressive years at #3 doubles in GC history with an 8-4 victory.
With the action turning to the six singles courts, the Panthers knew that they only needed two more victories. In the tournament format, the team match ends when five matches have been won. The first victory was earned by Senior Ryan Haas, making his last appearance on court for the Panthers. He ended a very successful career by playing one of his best matches of the season, winning by a score of 6-1, 6-1. In the previous matchup between these two teams, Haas fought back to gain a three set victory over his opponent. Junior Demetrius Bush clinched the 5-0 sweep for the Panthers as he also gained an impressive 6-1, 6-1 victory. Final Score: GC 5, Webster 0.
The Panthers finished the season with a record of 13 wins and 9 losses. The 13 wins are the most for a Panthers squad in the last 15 seasons.
