ERIC SACCULLO

Senior, 5-10
Manhasset, N.Y.
Manhasset

Junior: Competed in the most singles matches for Colgate and achieved a 20-win season, compiling a 20-11 record.  After a slow start in the fall, Saccullo strung together seven victories in a row, winning clutch matches over Brandon Carter of Navy and Jesse Paer of Dartmouth to help Colgate to 4-3 victories.  Saccullo continued his good play at the Patriot League Individual tournament.  In the first round he defeated 2003 first team All-Patriot League member Guillaume Tarralle of American in three sets.  In the semifinals and championship match, he avenged two losses from last spring, defeating H’Cone Thompson and Rafael Albornoz (both of whom made the All-League second team) to capture the Third Singles Championship.  He defeated Albornoz again in the first round of the ITA Regional Championship to set the stage for one of the biggest individual triumphs in Colgate team history.  Saccullo was a big underdog against Jamie Cerretani, the #7 seed who would later achieve a national ranking in the spring.  After Cerretani won the first set convincingly, Saccullo came back to win the second set easily and then dramatically prevailed in the third set, winning 2-6, 6-1, 7-6.  While Saccullo would lose in the next round, he finished out the fall strongly, making the finals of the A flight at the Cornell Indoor Invitational, beating two Cornell regulars in straight sets.  Saccullo continued to play solidly in the spring.  His best wins came over nemesis Brad Davidoff of Binghamton, Mikko Haulos of St. Bonaventure, and Gerold Wiring of Barry.  Saccullo also picked up league victories over Lafayette’s Thompson, Bucknell’s Todd Jacobs, and Lehigh’s Randall Smalley.  Saccullo also played 28 doubles matches, going 16-12.  With Blake Willmarth he picked up an impressive 8-4 victory over Reyes and Webb of Dartmouth.  Willmarth and Saccullo would then capture the third doubles flight at the Patriot League Individual Championships, defeating Gregory “Carl” Fisher and Jarrett Skrobarzeczech.  With Pete Oman, Saccullo reached the finals of the Cornell Indoor Tournament “A” Flight.  Saccullo also had big spring doubles victories against Dartmouth and Navy (with Willmarth), and an 8-1 thrashing of Tushar Garg and Andreas Kulscar in the Patriot League Tournament.  For his efforts, Saccullo was named to the second team All-Patriot League.  He was also honored as the Colgate Team MVP for the 2002-2003 season. Saccullo was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll for the spring semester.

Sophomore: Played the most singles matches on the team, finishing with a 16-15 record.  Played mostly #2 singles but also competed at #1 and #3 singles.  In the fall, scored straight set wins over Davy Lee of Navy at #3 singles and Johnny Lu of Yale.  After losing a close match in the first round of the Northeast Region Individual Championships, Saccullo rolled off five wins in a row to win the consolation draw, defeating Penn State’s #2 Todd Stecko 6-3 6-4 in the final.  Scored clutch spring dual match wins over Max Zubatsky of UConn and Ryan Osgood of Navy in the Patriot League tournament.  Also routed Tushar Garg of American at #3 singles, 6-1 6-2.  Played almost all of his 27 doubles matches at #1.  Won the Patriot League Individual Championship at #1 doubles with Evan Paushter, defeating American in the semifinals and Navy in the finals.  Also scored a key win with Paushter over Josef Novotny and Brandon Ferguson of UMBC, and with Hagmann as partner clinched the doubles point with an 8-6 comeback victory over Lickle and Osgood of Navy in the Patriot League semifinals.  Saccullo and Hagmann were named to the All-Patriot League first team in doubles.

Freshman: Started season playing #3 and #4 singles but closed out the season playing the last 17 out of 18 matches at #1 singles . . . posted a respectable 13-17 mark picking up Patriot League victories over H'Cone Thompson of Lafayette (6-1, 3-6, 6-4), Bucknell's Alex Davydov (6-1, 7-6) and another victory over Thompson in the first round of the Patriot League Championships . . . also saw action with four doubles partners playing #1, #2 and #3 doubles . . . started season at #1 and #2 doubles with Josh Cohn compiling a 4-11 mark including two wins in the Patriot League Championship defeating Lafayette's H'Cone Thompson and Dan Seward, 8-4, and Navy's Ben Saloman and Jim Shaughnessey, 8-6. 

High School: Was a two-year letterwinner at #1 singles at Manhasset High School his junior and senior years after moving from Atlanta, Georgia...finished senior year with a 9-3 record as captain of the Indians...finished career with a 37-9 record at #1 and #2 singles...helped the Indians capture the 1999 Division II title...was All-County and All-State his junior and senior seasons...was runner-up in the NYS Doubles Finals in 2000.

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