Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Western Connecticut State University men's and women's tennis squads were both downed on Tuesday afternoon at Little East Conference foe Rhode Island College. The women were forced to forfeit several matches en route to a 9-0 loss, while the men were edged, 5-4. 

"Our ladies knew a tough opponent in Rhode Island was waiting for them and they kept their heads up and gave it their all, especially with being short handed. They'll be ready for our next match on Friday," stated WestConn head coach Shawn Stillman following women's play. 

On the men's side, the Colonials lost all three doubles matches. WestConn led in the No. 1 doubles match, however, RIC rallied to win a 7-3 tiebreaker. The No. 3 doubles slot was equally as competitive. However, the Colonials dropped the third set, 8-6. They entered singles play down, 3-0. 

The WestConn senior trio of Will Hogan (Ridgefield, Conn.), Aaron Campos (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Matthew Carino (Newtown, Conn.) each won their respective matches. However, the Colonials were not able to complete the rally after the 0-3 doubles start.

"Anytime you lose a match 5-4, it's always tough, but it's also a learning experience for our players. It makes the coaches and players analyze the courts we lost and develop strategies for the next match. Hopefully a match like this makes our players mentally stronger for the next time they are in this situation,' added Stillman. 

The Colonials return to action at Southern Maine on Friday at Noon.