WALLA WALLA, Wash. – For the George Fox University men's tennis team, their third straight time in the Northwest Conference Tournament was definitely NOT the charm as the Bruins were eliminated by the Pacific University Boxers 5-1 in the semifinals Friday afternoon here at Whitman College's Bratton Indoor Tennis Center.

In 2012, the Bruins knocked out Pacific in the semifinals to reach the tournament championship match for the first time before falling to Whitman.  Last year, it was Pacific Lutheran University which bit the dust at the hands of the Bruins before Whitman again defeated the George Fox crew in the finals.  This year's rematch with Pacific did not go the Bruins' way, however, leaving the Boxers and the host Missionaries, who dispatched Lewis & Clark College 5-1 in the other semifinal, to thrash it out in Saturday's title match.

The Boxers got a huge jump in the match with the Bruins by taking all three doubles.  Troy Zuroske and Giancarlo Battaglia took the measure of Justin McClain and Chris Lilley 8-2 at No. 1, Brennan Faith and Grayson Frazier defeated Preston Mann and Chace Stalcup 8-1 at No. 2, and Josh Bernstein and Clark Wininger doubled up Nick Grafton and Mitchell Miyashiro 8-4 at No. 3.

Battaglia downed Lilley 7-5, 6-4 at No. 2 singles to give the Boxers a 4-0 lead.  The Nos. 3 and 4 singles finished almost simultaneously, the Boxers' Bernstein winning at No. 4 over Grafton 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 to clinch the match.  Mann gave the Bruins their lone victory with a tight 7-6 (7-2), 7-5 decision over Faith at No.3.  The Nos. 5 and 6 singles were not started with the match having already been decided.

George Fox, ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III West Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, finished its third consecutive winning season with an 11-5 overall record.  Head coach Neal Ninteman moved over the break-even mark and is now 47-44 after five season with the Bruins, who were third in the NWC in the regular season at 9-3.  Pacific, ranked 10th in the West, is now 15-3 overall.  The Boxers were second in the regular season at 11-1.