The Ithaca men’s tennis team defeated Hartwick College Hawks 9—0 this afternoon at Glazer Arena to improve to 2—0 in the Empire 8 Conference.

The Bombers swept the doubles matches and earned four of its six overall singles victories in straight sets.

Senior captain Jimmy Newton said the team considers this game a confidence boost going into a big weekend matchup against Stevens Institute of Technology.

“It was a good overall performance,” he said. “It’s really nice to win a couple of close ones and go into Stevens on Sunday with a little more confidence.

Senior captain Dan Levine said the team wanted to get off to a fast start against Hartwick.

“When you come out and sweep a team in doubles it really takes some life out of them and gives the team momentum going into singles,” Levine said.

Stevens also holds an unblemished 2—0 record in the Empire 8, making this weekend’s matchup an important early battle for the inside track to the conference title. Sophomore David Andersen said the team must continue to be focused for its next opponent.

“Right now we’re just working on maintaining concentration and playing at the highest level possible,” Andersen said. “Stevens is our toughest challenge all year. We really need to bring our highest quality.”

Newton said the biggest improvement in the team is the camaraderie.

“Everyone’s cheering for everybody,” Newton said. “No one’s all about themselves, everyone’s all about the team. We don’t care about individual recognition, we want team recognition.”

The Bombers will face Stevens at 9 a.m. Sunday on the Wheeler Tennis Courts.