By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
LAKEVILLE, Minn. — Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's tennis coach Jeff Halberg was pleased with his Cardinals' effort Monday evening in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against St. Olaf.
 
He just wished the Cardinals could have been rewarded for their efforts.
 
The Cardinals hung close with the Oles in every match of their conference showdown at Lifetime Fitness, but could not seem to get over the hump, falling to the Oles 8-1.
 
"The effort was certainly there," Halberg said. "We hung close from start-to-finish, we just couldn't come up with the big points when we needed them. I was very happy with our effort—just wish the outcome would have been a bit different."
 
St. Olaf jumped out to a 2-1 lead after the three doubles matches, with the Cardinals' Alex Zuzek (Hastings, Minn.) and Alex Holm (Red Wing, Minn.) teaming for an 8-5 win at No. 3, while Brenden Amiotte (Rapid City, S.D.)/Brett Giesen (Cato, Wis.) suffered a heartbreaking 9-8 (2) loss at No. 1.
 
The Oles then took control in singles, winning five of the six matches in streaigh tsets, with Robbie Sobczak (Cloquet, Minn.) taking St. Olaf's Spencer Wick to a third set, before falling 3-6, 6-3, 10-5 at No. 4.


The Cardinals (0-8 MIAC, 6-11 overall) continue their final week of the regular season on Thursday, traveling to Mankato, Minn., for a 4 p.m. nonconference match against Bethany Lutheran. Saint Mary's will then head to St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday, squaring off in its regular-season finale against Hamline in an 11 a.m. MIAC matchup.