Box Score Providence, R.I.—Second seeded Western Connecticut State University men's tennis team came back from a 4-2 deficit to defeat No. 1-seeded Rhode Island College, 5-4, in the finals of the 2021 Little East Men's Tournament played at the RIC Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon. 

WestConn, 6-2, advances to its second-ever NCAA Division III Championships, which are slated to begin late next week.  The Colonials captured the 2010 LEC title and the program's first NCAA berth.

"Today was probably the highest level of tennis I've seen played, not only by our men, but also by our opponent, Rhode Island," stated WestConn head coach Shawn Stillman.  "Both teams came out ready to play. This was an intense match to coach and I am so proud of these men for battling like they did and coming out on top."

Colonials freshman Mitchell Kindred (New Fairfield, Conn.) and senior Will Hogan (Ridgefield, Conn.) defeated RIC sophomore Michael Crawley (Manville, R.I.) and freshman Josh Brien (Johnston, R.I.), 8-2, No. 3 doubles to open the day's action. 
 
RIC sophomore Max Blais (Smithfield, R.I.) and senior Ethan Hoy (West Warwick, R.I.) defeated WestConn sophomore Sebastian Frisch (Redding, Conn.) and junior Jay Kilcourse (New Fairfield, Conn.), 8-6, at No. 2 doubles to tie the match, 1-1. 
 
WestConn seniors Aaron Campos (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Matt Carino (Sandy Hook, Conn.) built a 6-0 lead at No. 1 doubles against RIC junior Alex Bourque (North Smithfield, R.I.) and senior Michael Shea (Greenville, R.I.), only to see the Anchormen tandem go on a 6-1 run to close within a game, 7-6. Campos and Carino then won the decisive game to earn the victory, 8-6, and send the visitors into singles action with a one point, 2-1, advantage. 
 
"They have worked so hard for this day and I'm so happy for them," added Stillman.  "It was a total team effort today, but I would be remiss to say that over the last four years, Campos, Hogan and Carino have carried this team on their shoulders. Today was no different, as they each went 2-0. They stepped up in a big way today."

In singles action, RIC won three straight singles matches at the bottom of the lineup to take a 4-2 lead. 
 
Shea defeated Kindred (6-1, 6-1) at No. 6 singles while Hoy bested Frisch (6-4, 6-1) at No. 4 singles. 
 
Anchormen freshman Jack Cadden (Mattapoisett, Mass.) picked up a win (6-3, 7-5) vs. Kilcourse at No. 5 singles to take a 4-2 advantage on his familiar courts.
 
Campos started the comeback and beat Bourque (6-3, 6-1) at No. 1 singles. After dropping his first set at second-flight solos, Carino won the next two sets over Crawley (4-6, 6-3, 6-2) at No. 3 singles for tie the match at four apiece. 
 
Hogan was left to decide the 2021 first-place winners.  In three sets, he defeated Blais (7-5, 4-6, 6-3) at No. 2 singles to clinch the title for the visitors.