The Ithaca College men’s tennis team competed in the 2016–17 Empire 8 Championship match against top-seed Stevens Institute of Technology May 6. The Bombers were defeated 5–0 by the Ducks, making this the eighth consecutive year the Blue and Gold has finished runner-up to Stevens.

To begin the day, Stevens took three quick matches over the Bombers in doubles flights. Middle flight tandem junior Lorenzo Viguie-Ramos and senior Wes Davis battled in the closest doubles match of the day. Viguie-Ramos and Davis took five sets against junior William Persson and sophomore Divin Sarthak of the Ducks, but Persson and Sarthak took the match 8–5.

At first flight doubles, sophomore Michael Gardiner and freshman Minos Stavrakas fell to junior Kyle Henry and senior Antonio Perich 8–4. The easiest win in doubles matchups for Stevens came in the third flight battle. Senior pair Charles Drake and Michael Feldman defeated sophomore Stefan Lazarevic and senior Nate Wolf in an 8–2 decision.

The second and fourth flight singles is where the Ducks clinched the match over the Blue and Gold.

Gardiner was defeated by Persson 6–2, 6–3 at second flight singles while freshman Colten Lavery at fourth flight was defeated by Drake in two decisive 6–3 sets.

The remainder of singles matches were left unfinished because Stevens had already secured the win.