MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The University of Southern Maine Huskies advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Division III men's tennis tournament with a 5-4, come-from-behind win over the Ithaca College Bombers Friday afternoon at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont.

With the win, Southern Maine improves to 9-2 overall and will face host Middlebury College at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Ithaca concludes its season at 9-13. The win is the first ever for Southern Maine in NCAA tournament history as the Huskies are making their inaugural appearance in the national championship tournament.

Southern Maine staged an impressive comeback to overcome a 4-0 deficit, winning five consecutive singles matches for the win. Ithaca took a 3-0 lead sweeping the doubles portion of the match, and expanded its lead to 4-0 when junior Jeff Buffum (Morristown, N.J.) took a quick 6-0, 6-2 decision over USM freshman Ian Carey (Milo, Maine) at no. 6 singles.

Southern Maine, however, would not lose another match, winning the other five singles contests. Senior Chris Chaffee (Fryeburg, Maine) earned USM's first point of the afternoon defeating Ithaca freshman Danny Wolk (Potomac, Md.) 6-0, 6-3 at no. 4 singles. Freshman Josh Warren (Hermon, Maine) made it two in a row when he won 6-0, 6-4 over freshman Taylor Borda (Chester, N.J.) at no. 2 singles.

The Huskies inched to within a point of the Bombers when senior Justin Chaffee (Fryeburg, Maine) cruised to a 6-4, 6-0 win over senior Joe Young (Saylorsburg, Pa.) at no. 3 singles. Senior captain Craig Spann (Redding, Conn.) tied the score at 4-4 with a hard-fought win at no. 1 singles, overcoming a 6-3 loss in the first set to win the next two 6-4, 6-4 to defeat senior Colin
Flynn (Needham, Mass.).

Southern Maine captured the match and its first-ever NCAA tournament win with a grueling three-set win at no. 5 singles. Sophomore Derek Stevenson (Raymond, Maine) provided the Huskies with the winning margin, battling back after losing the first set to pick up a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over freshman Liam Berkowitz (Pleasantville, N.Y.).