GORHAM, Maine – The University of Southern Maine men's tennis team will be playing in the Little East Conference Championship Tournament for the first time since 2022 after earning the fifth seed in the tournament with a record of 2-4 in conference play.  As the fifth seed in the tournament, the Huskies will travel to face fourth seed Western Connecticut State on Tuesday at 3:30 pm. The Huskies have been playing well of late with a solid mix for veterans and newcomers.
 
Seniors Jaden Parker (Portland, Maine) and senior Zac Howe (Arundel, Maine/Thornton Academy) are 3-5 in the top doubles spot for the Huskies this season. The pairing of junior Landon Weaver (Bowdoinham, Maine/Mt. Ararat) and freshman Charlie Bitar (Perry, Maine/Calais) have occupied the No. 3 slot and are also 3-5 on the year. Seniors Zach Desmarais (St. Cyrille, Quebec) and Azam Jiwa (Calgary, Alberta) hold a 2-4 record in the second doubles slot.
 
Weaver has been the top performing singles player for the Huskies this season with an overall record of 5-5. Weaver is 2-2 in the fourth singles slot and 3-3 at fifth singles. While Weaver leads the team in singles wins, Desmarais holds the best conference record with a 3-2 record. Desmarais is 4-5 on the season and has won three of his last four matches. Howe and Parkers also have played well in the singles matches with three wins each.
 
Tuesday's match will be the rematch for the teams, one that the Huskies hope ends in their favor this time. The Wolves escaped Gorham with a 5-4 win on April 13. Weaver and Bitar earned the only doubles win for the Huskies in that match. Weaver, Jiwa and sophomore Kayde Kinaschuk (Calgary, Alberta won singles matches.
 
2025 Little East Conference Men's Tennis Championship Tournament
Who: No. 5 Southern Maine at No. 4 Western Connecticut State Wolves
When: Tuesday, April 29 – 3:30 PM
Where: Western Connecticut State University – Westside Tennis Courts
What: Quarterfinal round.
 
No. 5 Southern Maine (3-7 overall; 2-4 Little East)
Championships: 6 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016)
LEC Tournament Record: 11-7 (.611)
Championship Appearances: 6    Finals Record: 3-0   Last Championship Appearance: 2016
 
Players to Watch: Landon Weaver, Jr. 5-5 singles record; Zach Desmarais, Sr. 4-4 singles record; Jaden Parker, Sr. 3-6 singles record; Zac Howe, Sr. 3-5 singles record.