SHEPHERD HEADED TO FERRIS STATE FOR MEN'S TENNIS REGIONAL ACTION

BIG RAPIDS, MI -- Perhaps the number three will be lucky for the Shepherd men's tennis team.

For the third time in four years, the team has won the West Virginia Conference; and for the third time they are about to play in the Division II National Tournament. The Rams' first round match is slated for Thursday, May 5th, in the Great Lakes Regional held in Big Rapids, Michigan.

The first round opponent for Shepherd will be Southern Indiana--the same team the Rams faced three years ago in the first round. The Rams went home after a disappointing 5-0 loss. There are no players left from that 2002 Southern Indiana team--but there are, of course, three left from the Shepherd team that played in that match: Tim Halter, Brian Clarke, and Wray Sherman....all seniors now.

Incidentally, Southern Indiana is the number three seed in the Great Lakes Regional while Shepherd is the six seed.

"I think this time around things could be different," says ninth-year coach Chris Stambaugh. "This is certainly the strongest team I have had here at Shepherd. We have an edge that our veteran players have been to nationals before. Honestly, in 2002, we just didn't know what to expect. To date, this is our best shot at breaking out of that first round."

The Shepherd men's first berth into the Division II national tennis tournament was in 2002 followed by another in 2003. After two first-round defeats, the women's team experienced the same fate after they won the WVIAC in the fall of 2003. The first round of nationals has not been friendly to Shepherd University.

If Shepherd gets past the Screaming Eagles, they will take on the winner of #2 seed Ferris State and #7 Grand Valley for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen.

"The national tournament is very similar to the March Madness college basketball," says Stambaugh. "There are 64 teams put in a draw. Maybe in the past for us it's been a little like Bucknell versus Kansas: a mid-major school gets the automatic berth but has to face a traditional powerhouse in the first round. The difference is that we have clearly started to close the gap because of our own rising talent. We are so much stronger this time."

And Bucknell defeated Kansas this year.

2005 Great Lakes Men's Tennis Regional Tournament

Thursday, May 5 (Semifinals)

2:00 p.m. Ferris State vs. Grand Valley State

4:30 p.m. Southern Indiana vs. Shepherd

Friday, May 6 (Finals)

2:00 p.m. Ferris State-Grand Valley State winner vs. Southern Indiana-Shepherd winner