Finnegan & Marshall, Bercovici Beat Regionally-Ranked Opponents

EWING, NJ -- The College of New Jersey, ranked 18th in Division III and sixth in the Northeast region, defeated visiting Washington College, the Atlantic SDouth's ninth-ranked team, 6-3, in a non-conference women's tennis match this afternoon in Ewing, NJ. The Lions improved to 14-2 with the win, while the Shorewomen fell to 15-3 with the loss.

Juniors Jordan Finnegan (Wilmington, DE/Archmere Academy) and Brittany Marshall (Dagsboro, DE/Worcester Prep [MD]) scored an impressive win at No. 1 singles for the Shorewomen in the loss. Finnegan and Marshall, ranked seventh in the Atlantic South, beat Karisse Bendijo and Allison Tierney, the Northeast's fifth-ranked doubles team, 9-7. Bendijo and Tierney won the ITA Northeast Regional Doubles Championship in the fall.

The Lions won at the other two doubles spots, however, to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Paige Aiello and Lauren Balsamo beat freshman Amanda Bercovici (Hackensack, NJ/Bergen Tech) and sophomore Campbell McNicol (Mill Neck, NY/St. George's School), 8-6, at No. 2, while Emily Petersack and Felice Trinh downed sophomore Kat Cohen (Springfield, MA/Williston-Northampton School) and freshman Bethany Daller (Exton, PA/Bishop Shanahan), 8-2, at No. 3.

Bercovici, ranked 17th in the Atlantic South region in singles, beat Bendijo, ranked 10th in the Northeast, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Finnegan added a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, win over Tierney at No. 3, but the Lions won at the other four singles spots. Trinh downed Marshall, 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-5, at No. 2, Balsamo defeated McNicol, 7-5, 6-1, at No. 4, Petersack topped Cohen, 6-1, 7-5, at No. 5, and Tara Criscuolo beat Daller, 3-6, 6-2, 10-3, at No. 6.

The Shorewomen return to action Saturday when they will host Swarthmore in a Centennial Conference semifinal match at 12:00 p.m.