BOCA RATON - One day after taking on #2 Barry in Miami Shores, Florida Southern's schedule didn't get any easier. Playing its second top-five opponent in as many days, the 13th-ranked Moccasins lost to #3 Lynn, 9-0, falling to 3-2 on the season.
Lynn (3-1, 1-0) swept the doubles matches to get things started, though not without a fight. The team of Michael Knoedler and Roman Schirmaier fell to Alessandro Sarra and Willi Wolfer 8-5 at the top flight, after the Knights had pulled away late in the other two by scores of 8-4. One of those came from the nation's 5th-ranked doubles team of Luca Pavanelli and Alex Voirin.
In singles play, Knoedler split the first two sets with Sarra (ranked #8 individuall) at the top position, but Voirin and Pavanelli picked up wins at #5 and #3 to clinch the outcome early for Lynn. The Knights then won three more singles matches in straight sets to go ahead 8-0, with only the top flight still undecided.
Knoedler, a two-time SSC Player-of-the-Year, and Sarra had each won 6-4 to force a third set, and Knoedler jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the super tie-breaker. However, Sarra scored the final eight points and pulled out the win to give the Knights their second shutout over a ranked team in the last three days.
Florida Southern will be off until Monday, March 1, when it hosts Lake Superior State (MI) at 10:30 a.m.
