Last Updated:12:39 AM EST 4/23/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Brad Waters Donnie Sherman returns a serve. The Cards clinched the No. 3 seed in the E8.

Imagine being a St. John Fisher College athlete or coach and never beating archrival Nazareth College in your entire career.

Luckily, the men's tennis team can finally say that they have bested their East Avenue rivals, as they beat Nazareth 6-3 on April 18. This was the first time in 12 years that the tennis program has beat Nazareth, and the first time in coach Linda Gohagan's career.

The matches between these rivals have always been close in the past. However, Nazareth consistently managed to pull out the win.

"Naz just always got the best of us," junior John Zinni said.

In the past, Naz had always had a strong lineup, especially at the top.

"The top of the lineup isn't what it used to be," Zinni said. "They're still good but they can't get automatic wins."

In this matchup, Fisher was able to take advantage of the weaker Naz lineup at the top by winning three singles matches.

Matches always start with doubles competition, and that is where this match was won for Fisher. They won second and third doubles, which gave them a convincing lead going into singles play.

Junior captain Karl Schiefer, who won second doubles with his fellow captain, senior Donnie Sherman, also won fourth singles, 6-4, 6-3.

Also earning points in this match was the third doubles team of junior Phil Coleman and freshman Jake VanBuren, Sherman in third singles and Jake VanBuren in sixth singles. The doubles team of Schiefer and Sherman is undefeated thus far in conference play.

This game not only was the first win against Naz for this year's team, it also had a much greater impact.

This match secured Fisher the number three spot in the upcoming conference playoffs. With the new change in the Empire 8 conference postseason tournament, only the top four seeds move on. This win guarantees that this year's team is going to the playoffs.

Schiefer, who has been critical to the team's success this season, clinched the win with his fourth singles. It was a very competitive and close match, as the score indicates.

"We knew this was our year to win, so we came into this match optimistically," Schiefer said.

There was a good reason the team beat Naz.

"This team has a lot more experience," Gohagan said. "They are mainly juniors. Also, we have more depth than Naz.

"It's a great feeling to know we finally beat them. We have come close before, but I'm proud of our guys."

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