NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - The Little East Conference office announced the 2009 men's tennis all-conference and major award winners this afternoon after a vote by the head coaches. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth earned three of the four major awards, while Rhode Island College captured the inaugural team sportsmanship award. Sophomore Mason Viau (Marion, Mass.) and freshman Troy Pandolfi (Danbury, Conn.) were named player and rookie of the year, respectively, while Tom Mendell was selected as the coach of the year by his peers.

The conference office honored a 12-student-athlete first and second All-Little East teams, consisting of one player at each of the six singles flights and a doubles pairings for each of the three teams. This is the first year the conference office has recognized major awards winners for the men's tennis season.

Viau is making his first appearance on the All-Little East teams, earning top honors at top-flight singles and second-flight doubles. The Marion, Mass. product boasted an overall record of 11-1 at No. 1 singles, including sweeping the conference circuit in straight sets to post a 6-0 mark in Little East action. Viau combined with Chris Forster (Reading, Mass.) at No. 2 doubles to win each of their four matches in the conference.

Pandolfi is making his debut on the All-Little East teams as a No. 2 singles, first-team honoree. The native of Danbury, Conn. thrived in the second singles position, dropping just one set in his six conference matches to post a 6-0 mark. In his Little East opener, Pandolfi lost the first set against Southern Maine's Derek Stevenson (Raymond, Maine) before rallying to win the match in a third set tie-breaker (3-6, 6-3, 10-7). On the campaign, he registered a 9-1 singles record, while boasting a 10-4 mark in doubles. Pandolfi primarily paired with classmate Karsten Rathlev (Winchester, Mass.) at top-flight doubles, sporting an 8-4 record.

Mendell guided UMass Dartmouth to the program's first appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament after capturing the Little East Conference Championship. The Corsairs' became just the second team in the conference's history to register a victory at the national tournament, defeating Neumann College (5-2) to advance to the second round. Mendell led his charges to the program's 12th season with at least 10 wins after posting a record-breaking 13-2 mark. UMass Dartmouth rode a nine-match winning streak into the NCAA Tournament, including two victories in the conference tournament as the second seed. The Corsairs avenged their lone Little East loss with a 5-2 victory over top-seeded and host Salem State College in the championship round.

The Anchormen joined the University of Southern Maine women's squad as the inaugural team sportsmanship award winners. Rhode Island College defeated Lesley University (9-0) and Newbury College (8-1) to register a 2-13 record, including a 0-6 mark in the Little East. The Anchormen graduate just one senior, Rolando Yotharath, and will welcome back eight lettermen from the 2009 season. 

Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East Conference has since grown to its present eight-school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.