The University of Minnesota Duluth closed out the 2017 regular season with a 9-0 setback Friday afternoon in Eau Claire, Wis.
The host Blugolds (12-6-1 overall) won five of the six singles matches in straight sets with UMD junior
Kelsey Zetah bowing out in a tie breaker at the No. 4 spot. Zetah and fellow junior
Shelby Benkofske fell 8-6 at No. 1 doubles as did junior
Katie Baasch and freshman
Elsa Erickson at No. 3.
UMD, which is 9-12 on the season (its most wins in eight years), will compete in the NSIC Tournament for the first time since 2010 next Saturday (April 22) with a first-round match against top-seeded Augustana University at Lifetime Fitness in Minnetonka, Minn.
A pair of rookies -- Erickson (12-8) and
Megan Anderson (11-10 primarily at No. 3) sport the best singles records of any 2017 Bulldog while Erickson and Baasch are 6-3 in doubles for a team-leading .667 winning percentage. Benkofske and Zetah have accumulated the most doubles victories to date with eight.
UW-Eau Claire 9, UMD 0
