Golden Gophers Open Season This Weekend with 2006 Gopher Invitational

The University of Minnesota men’s tennis team opens its 2006-07 season this weekend as host of the 2006 Gopher Invitational at the Baseline Tennis Center. The event runs Sept. 29-Oct. 1, and features Minnesota, Drake, Iowa, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Wisconsin-Green Bay competing in a mock dual format. Play begins at 8:30 a.m., each day of the event. A full schedule is below. Check gophersports.com for results from the Gopher Invitational.

The Golden Gophers, led by new head coach Geoff Young, return 11 players from the 2006-07 squad that went 14-13 overall and 7-3 in the Big Ten. The Maroon and Gold boast a experienced and talented lineup in 2006-07 with the return of seniors Nic Edlefsen, D.J. Geatz, Mikey Kantar, Brian Lipinski, Andres Osorio, Pete Torgrimson and Sion Wilkins, and juniors Adam Altepeter, Pierre Dumas, Chi Pham and Raoul Schwark. The Golden Gophers welcome one freshman this fall in Derek Peterson – a five-time all-conference player at EastviewHigh School. With its upperclassmen-laden lineup, Minnesota expects to battle for its first Big Ten Championship since 1995 and return to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.

The 2005-06 edition of Golden Gopher men’s tennis ascended back to the upper echelon of Big Ten and NCAA teams with a third-place finish in the conference and the program’s 19th overall national tournament appearance. Minnesota opened the season with one of the nation’s most difficult early-season schedules, going 3-7 before opening the Big Ten season. From there, the Maroon and Gold went 11-6, including a 7-3 mark in the conference. The Golden Gophers were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Championship before heading to the NCAA Championships in Coral Gables, Fla. Minnesota upset 22nd-ranked LSU in the first round before falling to No. 9 Miami.

2006 Gopher Invitational Schedule

Friday, Sept. 29
8:30 a.m.	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Iowa	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 11-16
	Singles	New Mexico	vs.	Drake	Courts 17-22
10:30 a.m.	Doubles	Iowa	vs.	Drake	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	Wisconsin	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 19-22
	Doubles	Minnesota	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 15-18
1:30 p.m.	Singles	New Mexico	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	Drake	Courts 11-16
	Singles	Iowa	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 17-22
3:30 p.m.	Doubles	Minnesota	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 15-18
	Doubles	Iowa	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	New Mexico	vs.	Drake	Courts19-22

Saturday, Sept. 30
8:30 a.m.	Doubles	Wisconsin-Green Bay	vs.	Drake	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	Iowa	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 19-22
	Doubles	Minnesota	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 15-18
9:30 a.m.	Singles	Iowa	vs.	Drake	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Wisconsin	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 17-22
	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 11-16
1:30 p.m.	Doubles	Minnesota	vs.	Iowa	Courts 15-18
	Doubles	Wisconsin-Green-Bay	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	Wisconsin	vs.	Drake	Courts 19-22
3:30 p.m.	Singles	Wisconsin-Green Bay	vs.	Drake	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Iowa	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 17-22
	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 11-16

Sunday, Oct. 1
8:30 a.m.	Doubles	Wisconsin	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	Iowa	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 19-22
	Doubles	Minnesota	vs.	Drake	Courts 15-18
9:30 a.m.	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	Iowa	Courts 1-6
	Singles	New Mexico	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 11-16
	Singles	Wisconsin	vs.	Drake	Courts 17-22

2006 Gopher Invitational Rain Schedule

Friday, Sept. 29
8:30 a.m.	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Iowa	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 11-16
	Singles	New Mexico	vs.	Drake	Courts 17-22
10:30 a.m.	Singles	Iowa	vs.	Minnesota	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Wisconsin-Green Bay	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 11-16
2:30 p.m.	Doubles	Iowa	vs.	Drake	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	Wisconsin	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 19-22
	Doubles	Minnesota	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 15-18
4 p.m.	Doubles	Minnesota	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 15-18
	Doubles	Iowa	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	New Mexico	vs.	Drake	Courts 19-22
Saturday, Sept. 30
8:30 a.m.	Doubles	Wisconsin-Green Bay	vs.	Drake	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	Iowa	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 19-22
	Doubles	Minnesota	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 15-18
9:30 a.m.	Singles	Iowa	vs.	Drake	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Wisconsin	vs.	Wisconsin-Green Bay	Courts 17-22
	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 11-16
1:30 p.m.	Doubles	Iowa	vs.	Minnesota	Courts 15-18
	Doubles	Wisconsin-Green Bay	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	Wisconsin	vs.	Drake	Courts 19-22
3:30 p.m.	Singles	Wisconsin-Green Bay	vs.	Drake	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Iowa	vs.	New Mexico	Courts 17-22
	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 11-16
Sunday, Oct. 1
8:30 a.m.	Doubles	New Mexico	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 11-14
	Doubles	Wisconsin-Green Bay	vs.	Iowa	Courts 19-22
	Doubles	Minnesota	vs	Drake	Courts 15-18
9:30 a.m.	Singles	New Mexico	vs.	Wisconsin	Courts 1-6
	Singles	Minnesota	vs.	Drake	Courts 11-16
	Singles	Wisconsin-Green Bay	vs.	Iowa	Courts 17-22

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