By: Western Connecticut State University Athletics

WENHAM, Mass. - Sophomore Axel Javier (Danbury, Conn.) came back from a 5-3 deficit in the third set to win the deciding match and lead the visiting Western Connecticut State University Wolves to a heroic 4-3 victory over the Salem State University Vikings in the opening round of the Little East Conference (LEC) Men's Tennis Championship Tournament this afternoon at Gordon College.  No. 5-seeded WestConn improves to 6-14, avenges a 4-3 loss at Salem State exactly ony month ago, and advances to the LEC Finals to face top-seeded Bridgewater State on Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Weymouth Athletic Club.

WestConn took the doubles point, as sophomores Henry Gsell (Bridgewater, Conn.) and Alex Maldonado (Danbury, Conn.) won a convincing 6-3 decision at the No. 3 spot.  Salem State won at the top of the ladder but WestConn senior Aidan Burke (Wilton, Conn.) and junior John Araujo (Bethel, Conn.) worked through six match points before winning, 6-4, at second doubles.

Each team earned an early singles point and the Wolves collected theirs thanks to a 6-2, 6-2 victory by Burke at the top of the ladder over Quentin Wilkins, who had won the regualr season between the two.  The rest of the four courts all went to 3 sets.  Araujo won his first set at fifth singles, 7-5, but lost the next two to tie the team scoring at 2-2.  Mark Wood pulled out a 6-3 win in the third set to down WestConn's Jose Zambrano (Danbury, Conn.) at third singles to give the Vikings a 3-2 lead.  

At fourth singles, Maldonado and Jesse Rubera split the first two sets and Rubera led, 5-1, in the fifth before Maldonado won six points in a row to win, 7-5, and tie the match at 3-3.  At the bottom of the ladder, Javier won his first set, 6-1, over Michael Makiej but lost the second, 6-3.  Makiej went ahead, 5-3, in the third set and had six match points but Javier won four consecutive games and won, 7-5.

"It was an amazing win today," said WestConn Head Coach Shawn Stillman  :The team showed so much heart. It came down to the last court and took two incredible comebacks from Maldonado and Javier. It was an emotional roller coaster to coach, credit to Salem State and the great season they had."