New Haven women’s tennis team came up short against the Le Moyne Dolphins on Sunday night, losing their match 5-2. It was a tough matchup for the Chargers, as Le Moyne entered the night sitting second in the Northeast-10 (NE-10) with a 6-1 record. However, it was a moment of celebration for the program as they honored their lone departing senior Stephanie Gonzalez with senior night.

Gonzalez has been a four-year contributor for the tennis program, being a constant source of production since arriving at New Haven from Puerto Rico. She was named the NE-10’s Rookie of the Year in 2017-18, followed by an All-Conference First-Team selection in the following year. In her last two seasons, Gonzalez continued her standout play on the court while also earning academic distinction accolades each year, including being named to the NE-10’s Academic Honor Roll.

In the first doubles match of the night, Gonzalez wasted little time showing why she has been a critical member of the Chargers’ program. She and graduate student Ivana Andric continued their hot performances this season, earning their sixth win of the year together. However, the Dolphins would bounce back to grab the second doubles match of the day. Sophomores Kacie Banks and Alexa Orlando made a push in the third match that went down to the last set, with the Chargers’ duo coming out on top 7-6.

Andric was not done with just the doubles, as she registered her sixth singles victory of the season in straight sets. However, this would mark the final win for the Chargers on the night as they dropped the remaining five singles matches to the Dolphins.

Banks and junior Nicole Mika had strong showings in their matches despite the losses, with each battling to three sets.

With the loss, the Chargers fall to 5-5 (3-4 NE-10) and rank sixth in the conference standings. New Haven will look to improve their spot over their final three games before the playoffs begin, with their first matchup coming on April 14 against American International, who they had a dominant 7-0 win over earlier in the season.

The Chargers will finish the season with two matches against Adelphi, which is currently tied for second in the NE-10 standings. Conference playoffs are slated to begin on April 25, with every team in the NE-10 earning a spot in postseason play.

Scores and updates for the Chargers’ remaining games, along with their playoff outlook, can be found on NewHavenChargers.com.