By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's tennis team opened the Little East Conference schedule on winning note.

The Bears defeated the University of Southern Maine, 7-0, at the Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts Saturday afternoon.

BSU improved to 2-2 overall with its eighth straight win over the Huskies (0-4, 0-1 Little East).

All six Bears, including three freshmen, won their singles matches in straight sets.

Freshman Will Horton (Lakeville, Mass.) was a 6-0, 6-2 winner over freshman Bowdoin Allen (Mount Desert, Maine) at No. 1 while junior Tom Ayson (Plymouth, Mass.) won over sophomore Charlie Bitar (Perry, Maine), 6-1, 6-0, at No. 2.

Senior Ryan Hebert (Taunton, Mass.) scored a 6-1, 6-0 win over senior Landon Weaver (Bowdoinham, Maine) at No. 3 and freshman Jayton Woods (Kingston, Mass.) defeated freshman Aiden Urbahn (Freeport, Maine) at No. 4 by a 6-0, 6-3 score.

Freshman Ryan Abreu (Lakeville, Mass.) won at No. 5 over freshman Chase Noble (Bar Harbor, Maine), 6-1, 6-2, and senior Tyler Barros (Somerset, Mass.) took No. 6 over junior Kayde Kinaschuk (Calgary, Alberta), 6-3, 6-1.

The No. 1 doubles team of senior Adam Beatrice (Rockland, Mass.) and sophomore Khiem Nguyen (Burlington, Vt.) won over Allen and Bitar, 6-1.

At No. 2 doubles, Horton and Hebert teammed to defeat Weaver and Urbahn, 6-0, while Ayson and junior Anthony Lucas (Weymouth, Mass.), won at No. 3 doubles, 6-3, over Noble and Kinaschuk.

The Bears have a non-conference match Sunday at 2 p.m. as they face Brandeis University.

Southern Maine plays again next Saturday when it travels to Western Connecticut State for a 1 p.m. match.