Senior Ryan Berger and the Nittany Lions open the 2006-07 season with the Penn State Fall Classic at the Sarni Tennis Center this weekend.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., September 21, 2006 ¨C The Nittany Lion men¡¯s tennis team will open their fall season this weekend at Sarni Tennis Center at the Penn State Fall Classic with action slated to get underway at 3 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The Nittany Lions will welcome Army, Manhattan, Niagara and St. Bonaventure to Sarni this weekend. Penn State will open the Fall Classic with the Army Black Knights on Friday at 3 p.m. Then on Saturday, the Nittany Lions will play St. Bonaventure in singles and Niagara in doubles. On Sunday, Penn State will conclude the Fall Classic with singles and doubles against Manhattan.

Todd Doebler will debut as head coach of the Nittany Lions after four years as an assistant at Notre Dame. Doebler, who joined the staff in July, brings a wealth of experience with him after his stints with the Irish and at Pepperdine. Doebler served as assistant with the Waves for two seasons.

Seniors Ryan Berger (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Bradley Hunter (Atlanta, Ga.) will lead the rest of the Nittany Lions into the 2006-07 campaign. Berger, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, is fresh off of a junior season that saw him go 23-11, boosting his career mark to 70-31. Berger posted 16-6 mark in duals. Hunter finished the 2005-06 season at 19-7, including an 8-3 record in duals. Berger and Hunter teamed up during their junior seasons to post a 22-8 doubles record. They also ended the year with a No. 12 Northeast regional ranking.

Sophomore Adam Slagter (Austin, Texas) comes into the 2006-07 season with a stellar record as a freshman. During the 2005-06 campaign, Slagter posted an impressive 30-9 mark, including a 20-6 record in duals. Slagter combined with Mark Barry for a 17-11 overall doubles record on the season. The duo ended the season with a No. 4 Northeast regional ranking.

The Nittany Lions will travel to the ECAC Championships next weekend in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.