Fairfield, CT - The University of Hartford women's tennis team closed out the 2007 portion of its schedule with an eighth place finish at the New England Championships, hosted by Fairfield University, on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks were led by a third place finish in the number one singles flight for Raquel Casino. Hartford finished the meet with 20 points. Rhode Island took home first place honors.
Casino began the event by defeating Caitlin Dunn of Merrimack College (6-3, 6-4) to advance on to the winner's bracket. She would then fall to Fairfield's Paulina Rys in her second match by scores of 6-0, 6-2. Casino would then take on Avery Gibson of Providence College in the third place match, winning with scores of 8-6, 6-3 (10-5).
Kasey Michels also fared well at second singles for the Hawks. Michels opened her flight with a loss to number one ranked Dana Postupack from Fairfield University. Michels would drop to the loser's bracket where she defeated Stellina Saia (5-7, 6-4, 10-8) of Merrimack to advance to the fifth place match. She would then defeat Stonehill's Sam Dircks by scores of 6-1, 6-2 to pick up four points towards the team total.
Nikki Haynal, Hali Dorman and Jessica Ruggles would also take eighth place finishes in the third, fourth and fifth singles flights respectively. Michelle Tafur played the sixth singles flight for Hartford. She opened up with a loss to Providence's Kim Betzner by straight sets of 6-0. After falling to Stonehill's Kate Raunig by back-to-back sets of 6-2, she defeated Allison London from Merrimack College in the seventh place match.
In doubles play Casino and Michels combined for a sixth place finish, while the second and third doubles teams for Hartford finished in eighth place. Michels and Casino fell in their first match to URI's Nyssa Peele and Grace Hedstrom before defeating Stonehill's Lauren Rowinski and Sam Dircks by an 8-6 score, advancing to the fifth place match. Providence's Avery Gibson and Dara Hawkins-Hodgson took home the victory by an 8-1 score.
The Hawks will next play on January 27 when they open the spring season at home against Fairfield University. The match is scheduled to be played at the Glastonbury Tennis Club.
