BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Top-seeded Bridgewater State University advanced to the Little East Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Championship Match with a 5-0 semifinal round victory over #5 UMass Boston on Thursday afternoon at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.

The Bears (8-4) will host #2 Rhode Island College in the championship match on Saturday at noon.  The Anchormen posted a 5-3 win over #3 Western Connecticut State University in the other semifinal matchup.

The winner of Saturday's championship match will advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

UMass ends the season with an overall record of 5-6.

Bridgewater swept the three doubles matches in the semifinal round win over the Beacons to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

Adam Beatrice (Rockland, Mass.) and Tom Ayson (Plymouth, Mass.) teamed up for an 8-4 victory at the top flight to open the scoring. Filippo Mucci (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) and Ryan Hebert (Taunton, Mass.) followed with an 8-2 triumph at number three, while Robby Cooney (Plymouth, Mass.) and Matthew Krampf (Littleton, Mass.) completed the sweep with an 8-4 decision at the second spot.

Hebert cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 straight set win at number six singles and Mucci secured the match-ending fifth point with a 6-1, 6-4 straight set victory at the fifth flight.

The remaining four singles matches were left unfinished. Bridgewater was up a set at third singles and UMass led at the first, second and fourth flights.

Notes: The Bears will be making just their second appearance in the Little East Championship Match and first since 2012 (a 5-0 loss to UMass Dartmouth)....Bridgewater has won each of the last four meetings against UMass Boston, while the all-time series (dating back to 1985) is now even at 19-19….The Bears and the Beacons had met four times in the Little East Tournament prior to today's match. Bridgewater earned a 5-1 quarterfinal round win in 2009 as well as a 5-0 victory last season in the quarterfinals. UMass recorded a pair of semifinal round wins in 2013 (5-1) and 2017 (5-2).