Manhattan Storms Past Rider In Season Opener

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - For the Manhattan College women's tennis team, the 2012-13 season opener went about as well as the Jaspers could've imagined.  Manhattan (1-0, 1-0 MAAC) won eight of the nine matches, not surrendering a game in four of them, en route to a 6-1 victory over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rival Rider (0-2, 0-2 MAAC) at the Rider Tennis Center on Saturday.

Head Coach Scott Blumberg reconfigured his No. 2 and 3 doubles teams, and both new combinations came through with impressive victories.  Caitlin Bricketto (Coral Springs, Fla.) and Stephanie Tsao (Scarsdale, N.Y.) didn't lose a game at No. 2 doubles, defeating Jaclyn Giameo and Alexa Manforti 8-0.  The Jaspers clinched the doubles point when Alyssa Rosello (Garden City, N.Y.) and Megan Maffei (Stony Point, N.Y.) beat Kim Leder and Leonora Paul 8-2 in the No. 3 position.  Manhattan's No. 1 team of Lili Johnson (Tulsa, Okla.) and Brianna Turano (Nutley, N.J.) also won their first match of the year, 8-4 over Marly Roche and Michelle Carvaglio.

The Jaspers were just as impressive in singles action.  Manhattan posted 6-0, 6-0 victories in the No. 3, 4 and 5 positions.  Turano defeated Manforti at No. 3 singles, Tsao beat Leder in the No. 4 position, and No. 5 Rosello topped Giameo.  Catherine Clark (Salem, Conn.) had no problems at No. 6 singles.  She notched a 6-0, 6-1 win over Paul.  At No. 1 singles, Johnson knocked off Roche by a 6-2, 6-3 count.

Rider did avoid a complete sweep, however.  In a tight match at No. 2 singles, Carvaglio came away with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Bricketto.

Manhattan is back in action on Sunday with a 12 p.m. matchup at Monmouth (0-0).