Though UIC battled in every set, Butler had too much firepower and came away with a 4-1 win in the season opener at Kalamazoo, Mich. Saturday afternoon.

"We took the lead in doubles on courts 2 and 3," Hans Neufeld observed.  "We lost a tough battle in doubles.  The team competed well in singles and showed a lot of resolve in a hard-fought match."

Pelle Strandberg captured UIC's lone point in #5 singles.  The Flames will remain in Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan Sunday.  "The competition only gets tougher, but so do we," Neufeld concluded.

Doubles Results

• Johan Hedstrom and Kasper Parlklo fell in a 6-3 decision at #1.
• Butler won the doubles point with a 6-3 victory over Pelle Strandberg and Luiz Dos Santos on the #3 court.
• Niko Wasilewicz and William Wale went down after a marathon tiebreaker at #2, 7-6 (10).

Singles Results

• Anthony Nguyen fell in a 6-3, 6-1 match at #4.
• Wasilewicz dropped a 6-3, 6-2 fight on court #3.
• Strandberg got the Flames back in the match with a 7-5, 6-2 win in the #5 flight.
• The final nail was hammered on the #1 court, where Hedstrom went down by a 7-6 (5), 6-2 score.
• Kasper Parlklo's match at #2 was abandoned.  He had tied the second set, 5-5, after losing the first, 6-0.
• Luiz Dos Santos also was pulled off the court in his match at #6.  He had forced a third set with a 6-3 win in the second.

Up Next

• The opening weekend will conclude on Sunday.
• UIC will play defending MAC champion Western Michigan at 1:30 pm.