Feb. 10, 2006

The University of Texas-Pan American men's tennis team lost to the Abilene Christian Wildcats on Friday (Feb. 10) 6-1 in Edinburg, TX at the Orville Cox Tennis Center.

Oliver Steil (Brunssum, The Netherlands/AF North International School) was the only player to win his singles match. The Bronc senior defeated Jason Ray 7-5, 6-1 in the second flight match. Steil teamed with newcomer Andrew Bost (Corpus Christi, TX/Mary Carroll H.S.) for second flight doubles action and were defeated 8-4 by ACU's Casper Steenkamp and Juan Nunez. Bost dropped his singles match 6-4, 6-3 to Ryan Hudson.

In first flight singles action, Nik Porter (Tunbridge Wells, England/Bennett Memorial School) lost a hard-fought match to Steenkamp. Rehman Esmail (Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada/North Carolina State) took on Juan Nunez in the third flight singles and was edged 6-4, 6-3. Porter and Esmail played together in the top flight in doubles competition and earned the 8-5 victory of Ray and George Carstens.

In the fourth flight, Alberto Gomez (Brownsville, TX/Hanna H.S.) fell 6-1, 6-4 to Kevin Beedy while Danny Farias (Harlingen, TX/Temple College) dropped the sixth flight match, 6-1, 6-2 to Evan Puglia. Gomez and Farias were doubles partners in the third flight and were downed 8-1 by Beedy and Bryce Hicks.

With the loss, UTPA's record falls to 0-2 while Abilene Christian improved its record to 2-1.

The Broncs are back in action on Saturday as they host the Lamar Cardinals for a Southland Conference match-up at 2:00 p.m.

UTPA Sports Information