Men's Tennis | 2/20/2026 11:29:00 PM

OPENING SERVE VS LEHIGH
This is just the tenth time these two programs have faced each other on the court. The last meeting was last season, when the Red Flash fell to Lehigh, 5-2.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS 
Lehigh is coming off a 13-10 season that saw the team finish in the final of the Patriot League conference postseason tournament. Leading the team in singles wins so far this spring is freshman Kosei Ogata, who has three wins on the year. In doubles action, the best duo is Ogata and freshman Henry Stoller, with a 2-1 record.

OPENING SERVE VS LAFAYETTE 
The last time we played Lafayette was last season, when the Red Flash beat the Leopards, 5-2. Overall, this will be just the fifth time that these two programs compete against each other, with Saint Francis leading the all-time series, 3-1.

SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS  
Lafayette is coming off a 2025 season that saw the Leopards post a 7-13 overall record and are looking to rebound. Heading into the season, head coach Ralph Van Ormer named his 2025-26 team captains: seniors Sam Gelber, Jake Magnusson, and Nick McKenzie. 

LAST TIME OUT 
Saint Francis fell to NEC rival FDU, 6-1, on Sunday at the Hershey Tennis Center. The sophomore doubles duo of Blake Lorenzo and Beau Welker earned a 7-6 (7-5) tiebreak win, while Kevin Titus Suresh secured the Red Flash's lone point in singles with a 6-4, 7-6 (6-3) victory.
NEXT TIME OUT 
The Saint Francis men's tennis team is back in action next weekend as they travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to take on the Lehigh Hawks at the Lewis Indoor Tennis Center, with a start time of 11 a.m.

STRAIGHT FROM THE COACH'S MOUTH
Head tennis coach Eric Hovan shared his weekly progress report on the men's team following this past weekend's matches. "The guys are coming off two good matches against Bloomsburg and FDU," Hovan said. "We had a really solid win at home against Bloomsburg, giving us two straight home victories. We're becoming a team that's going to be very tough to beat on our home courts."

Hovan highlighted several standout individual performances. "Titus had two big wins over the weekend, including a victory over one of FDU's top players. He continues to compete at a very high level," Hovan said. "Greg Troyan has also been huge for us so far this year, both as a player and a leader. He's picked up a number of impressive wins against high-level opponents."

Overall, Hovan emphasized the team's continued improvement. "We're getting better each week and are really looking forward to the challenge of facing two quality Patriot League opponents in Lafayette and Lehigh."

AT THE HELM 
Head coach Hovan is in his fifth season at Saint Francis. Very few words can describe his career other than "successful," as he's helped both the men's and women's teams reach new heights. In 2023-24, he was named NEC Coach of the Year after guiding the men to their second NEC Championship Game. Last season, the women's tennis team made the NEC Championship Game for the first time in program history.

THE KINGS COURT 
Men's tennis sophomore and reigning Rookie of the Year, Kevin Titus Suresh, has been nothing short of dominant this 2025-26 season, proving why he has earned the nickname "The King." Looking back at his fall slate, Suresh posted a team-high 10-6 record across six tournaments, positioning himself for a chance to claim his first NEC Singles Championship, which earned him a spot in the ITA Masters in San Diego in early November. So far during the spring slate, he leads the team with a 12-6 record in singles and an 11-6 record in doubles.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK 
While the Red Flash retained many key players from last year's quarterfinal team, Coach Hovan and assistant coach Palko added four first-year players: Mario Beckles (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional), Luke Mitchell (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area), Jonah Ng (Fairview, Pa./Pennsylvania Cyber), and Deven Pandey (Bethlehem, Pa./Saucon Valley High School).