WALTHAM, Mass. - -- Bentley College senior Ivan Eskildsen (Panama City, Panama/Colegio La Salle) has been named 2003 Northeast-10 Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Year.

Eskildsen was the catalyst for a Bentley team that went 10-6 overall and 8-3 in the NE-10, posting an impressive 9-1 regular season record against conference competition and went 14-4 at the number one singles position and 12-4 at number one doubles.

The number one player in Panama, he spent some time playing in the International Tennis Federation before coming to Bentley and attended the International Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida where he learned to make the shots that made him so successful in the NE-10.

Head coach Cory Tusler and Eskildsen have been coach/student for the last four years and he had this to say of his star player, "He's such a smart kid, high three's on his GPA and he is so coachable, he'll listen and do what I ask of him to a tee. He'll pick and chose his shots, with a nasty forehand and angled backhands. He's just a cool, dedicated student athlete."

The highlight of the season for Eskildsen came in the second to last match of the season where he battled Assumption's Sean Kenney (the east region's #1 player and 29th nationally) to a three set victory. Eskildsen took the first set 6-4, lost the second in a grueling 7-5 set and used an 8-6 tiebreaker in the third for a 7-6 win.

Eskildsen was also named first team All-Northeast-10 at number one singles and joining him with first team All-Conference doubles honors is senior Mike Luchini (Millbury/St. John's HS). Eskildsen and Luchini set the tone for Bentley throughout most of the season, with an 11-3 record at number one doubles outside of tournament play.

Also receiving conference honors was sophomore Keenan Dalal (Cold Spring Harbor, NY/Cold Spring Harbor HS). Dalal went 11-7 overall in singles, including a 5-2 record at the number three spot and was named third team All-Conference.

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