GORHAM, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine Men's Tennis team won three singles and two doubles matches against Castleton University during their final Little East Conference regular season competition. 

The Huskies opened the day with wins at first doubles where Jonathan Bartuccio-Pereira (St. Bruno, QC / College Antoine Girourard) and Zach Desmarais (St. Cyrille, QC / École Secondaire L'Odyssée) took down Phil Kluge (Görlitz, Germany / Joliot-Curie Gymnasium) and Dante Buttino (Chestertown, N.Y. / North Wareen CSD) with a score of 8-4. Antoine Gignac (Quebec City, QC / St. Lawrence) and Ethan Rudnicki (Levant, ME / Hermon) bested Miguel Almirall Perez (Barcelona, Spain / Jesus Maria Sant Gervasi) and Jahwara Rennalls (Sandy Hill, Ontario / -) 8-4 at third doubles, giving the Huskies their second win of the day. 

At second doubles, Zac Howe (Arundel, ME/ Thornton Academy) and Devin Witte (Ridgeville Corners, OH / Archbold) tied Connor Davis (Derby, Vt. / North Country Union) and Jason Lipscomb (Bristol, Ct. / Bristol Eastern) 7-7. Howe and Witte then returned from a 0-6 deficit in the tie breaker but ultimately fell to Davis and Lipscomb with a score of 5-7 after an impressive effort. 

The Huskies then picked up wins at first, second, and sixth singles to secure the 5-4 win over the Spartans. Bartuccio-Pereira came out ahead of Kluge, 6-4, 6-4 at first singles while Desmarais handled Davis at second singles, 6-0, 6-2. Finally, Gignac beat Rennalls at sixth singles with scores of 6-1, 6-2. 

The Spartans came out on top at third, fourth, and fifth singles with Buttino coming out ahead of Howe 6-2, 7-5, Lipscomb persevering over Rudnicki in a back and forth battle with scores 1-6, 6-1, 6-1, and Almirall Perez winning over Witte in another close contest, 6-4, 6-6, 7-5 respectively. 

With their triumph over Castleton, the Huskies clinched the sixth seed and will compete in the LEC Championship. More details to come.