PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The University of Southern Maine Huskies men's tennis team won four of six singles and two of three doubles flights en route to capturing the 2007 Little East Conference Championship Sunday afternoon at Rhode Island College in Providence.

Winning its fourth LEC title in the past five years (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007), Southern Maine totaled 19.5 points and earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament. It is the first time that the USM men's tennis team has earned a bid into the NCAA tournament. The Huskies competed on the national level at the NAIA level, participating it the NAIA District Championship from 1972-1985, winning the district championship in 1980. The Huskies advanced to the NAIA National Championship tournament twice in 1972 and in 1980.

The Huskies will begin competition at the 2007 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship on Friday (May 4). The first and second rounds of the competition (May 4-6) will be at selected campus sites. The NCAA is schedule to release its tournament selections and information on Monday (April 30) at 8:00 p.m. The finals will be hosted May 15-20 at Washington University's Dwight Davis Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Seniors Justin and Chris Chaffee (Fryeburg, Maine), sophomore Derek Stevenson (Raymond, Maine) and freshman Josh Warren (Hermon, Maine) each won their respective singles flight. Each player entered the LEC tournament as the top seed in their flight.

Stevenson captured the fifth singles championship with a 6-1, 6-3 decision over second-seeded senior Howard Smyth (Haverhill, Mass.) of Bridgewater State College. Chris Chaffee gutted out a 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (6) thriller in the fourth singles final over Bridgewater State senior Matt Kelly (Tiverton, R.I.), while Justin Chaffee cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 straight set victory over Western Connecticut senior Colin Robertson (Newton, Conn.) in the third singles final. Warren won the no. 2 singles championship with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Bridgewater State junior Barry Gorman (Hopedale, Mass.).

Southern Maine also captured the no. 1 double and no. 2 doubles championships. Warren teamed with senior Craig Spann (Redding, Conn.) to take a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Bridgewater State's Kelly and sophomore Matt Charest (Somerset, Mass.). Stevenson and Chris Chaffee won the second doubles flight championship defeating UMass Dartmouth senior Chris Sims (Chelmsford, Mass.) and freshman Ken Sims (Chelmsford, Mass.) 6-3, 6-1.

Bridgewater State, which was in first place after the first day of the tournament, finished second with 17.0 points. UMass Dartmouth placed third with 11.0 points, while Western Connecticut (9.5 points) placed fourth. Rhode Island College placed fifth with 8.0 points, while UMass Boston placed sixth with 4.5 points and Salem State rounded out the competition placing seventh with 4.0 points.

Final Team Standing
1. Southern Maine, 19.5 points
2. Bridgewater State, 17.0 points
3. UMass Dartmouth, 11.0 points
4. Western Connecticut, 9.5 points
5. Rhode Island College, 8.0 points
6. UMass Boston, 4.5 points
7. Salem State, 4.0 points