By Pritish BehuriaThe Daily Northwestern
After beating Michigan State on Thursday to extend its winning streak to three matches, Northwestern’s confidence was high heading into its contest with No. 3 Ohio State (27-1, 10-0 Big Ten) in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Championships on Friday.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats (10-14, 4-6), it did not help, as the top-seeded Buckeyes defeated them 4-0 on the way to their second straight Big Ten tournament title.
“They are the best team, not only in our conference but one of the best in the division,” coach Paul Torricelli said. “If we had to go out, I think it was appropriate given our strength of schedule this year that we went out to them.”
Before the match, Torricelli said it would be unrealistic to expect a win against the Buckeyes, who shut out the Cats in the regular season.
The dual got off to a competitive start, with neither team able to assert control in doubles play.
At No. 1 doubles, Ohio State’s Chris Klingemann and Devin Mullings disposed of NU’s duo of freshman Alex Sanborn and sophomore Marc Dwyer, 8-3.
But the matches at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles went down to the wire.
The Cats’ No. 2 duo, seniors Matt Christian and Willy Lock, was leading the Buckeyes’ Drew Eberly and Justin Kronauge, 7-6. But the match was stopped when Ohio State’s No. 3 pair of Bryan Koniecko and Steve Moneke beat NU’s Christian Tempke and Juan Gomez 8-6 to seal the doubles point.
The defeat ended Tempke and Gomez’s five-match winning streak in doubles.
“They were playing really well,” Torricelli said. “Despite losing, it’s arguably one of the best matches I’ve seen Christian and Juan play all year.”
After the doubles point was decided, Tempke, who had been battling through shin splints, could not compete in singles.
Without one of their top singles players, the Cats had an even tougher assignment against the Buckeyes’ dominant lineup.
Sophomore Marc Dwyer moved up to No. 2 singles in Tempke’s absence and fell to Moneke 6-1, 6-3, while Koniecko beat Lock 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1. Christian’s three-match winning streak in singles action came to an end when he lost to Mullings, 6-1, 6-0.
“The guys gave a good effort,” Torricelli said. “But Ohio State was clearly a better team.”
NU’s finish in the Big Ten tournament followed a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Big Ten regular season. Still, the Cats did face eight top-25 teams.
“The focus was on strength of schedule this season,” Torricelli said. “We probably had one of the toughest schedules when you compare it with most other teams.”
Torricelli said he didn’t anticipate getting a bid for the NCAA tournament when selections are announced today.
Reach Pritish Behuria at [email protected].
