Colchester, Vt. - In a conference opener that came down to the finish, the Adelphi University men's tennis team squeezed out a 4-3 win over NE10 rival Saint Michael's College at the Tarrant Recreation Center on Saturday.

The match boiled down to the result at No. 6 singles, where Adelphi's Thomas Horsley faced off against Julius van den Broek of Saint Michael's.

Horsley broke a couple of key serves between the two sets and won by a 6-3, 6-4 scoreline, propelling the 'Cats to a 1-0 start to NE10 play.

Both teams played from behind in a tightly-contested match. After a slow start to singles had Adelphi in a 2-1 hole, Marko Jovanovic and Hugo Munoz Reinoso responded at the No. 1 and No. 2 flights, respectively, to put the Panthers back in front.

Reinoso won a first-set tiebreaker and ultimately took down his opponent in straight sets, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. Jovanovic went the distance after losing the first set and prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The doubles point also proved pivotal early on. Since being reunited at No. 1 doubles last weekend, Jovanovic and Gabriel Balestero accounted for the decisive 7-5 victory.

Head Coach Rebecca Fakas and her Adelphi squad are back in action next Saturday (Mar. 18), when they play University of the District of Columbia at 12 p.m. in Garden City, N.Y.