Jan. 24, 2005

BOCA RATON - The FAU men's and women's tennis teams open up spring play this week when they take on local competition in the form of the University of Miami and Northwood University.

On Wednesday, the Owl men will head to Neil Schiff Tennis Center in Coral Gables to take on the Hurricanes at 3 p.m., while the women will take on the `Canes on Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday will see the FAU men take on the Seahawks of Northwood in West Palm Beach at 11 a.m.

The 48th-ranked Hurricane men are led by sophomore Josh Cohen and junior Tim Krebs who are ranked 26th and 123rd in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's first spring rankings. Cohen had an impressive finish to 2004, taking the title at the USTA National Open Indoor Championships for the second year in a row in late December. Miami has won the last two matches in the series after the Owls upset the `Canes 4-3 on January 24, 2002.

Senior All-American Megan Bradley, the nation's second-ranked singles player, will lead the 12th-ranked Hurricane women against the Owls. Bradley, who fell at the NCAA semifinal stage in 2004, will team up with sophomore Audrey Banada to form the nations' eighth-ranked doubles team. The `Canes went 14-0 at home in 2004 dual matches and defeated the Owls 7-0 last February.

Northwood, a perennial NAIA powerhouse on both the men's and women's side, will provide a stiff test for the Owls. The men's team lost to Georgia Southwestern at the quarterfinal stage of the 2004 NAIA National Championships and returns six players from last year's squad. Ironically, the number two player from that Georgia Southwestern team, Todd Hiscox, has transferred to Northwood and should make an immediate impact.