FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y.- The top-seeded Fairfield University men's tennis team's storybook season came to an abrupt end this afternoon as the Stags fell to second-seeded Marist College, 5-2, in the final of 2009 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship.

The Stags finish the season with an 18-2 overall record, including a 15-match winning streak to start the year, while setting the program record for wins in a season.

It is the second straight year in which rivals Marist (12-3) and Fairfield battled for the MAAC title and the second time the Red Foxes prevailed. The Stags were able to avenge last year's loss in the final. Less than two weeks ago, Fairfield took the 2009 MAAC Regular Season title and handed Marist its only conference loss with a 5-2 win at the Walsh Athletic Center Courts on April 8, setting up a much-anticipate rematch in the MAAC Tournament.

Senior Chip Palumbo (Winchester, Mass.) saw his impressive senior campaign come to an end with a tough 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 loss to Matt Himmelsbach at sixth singles. Palumbo finishes the season with a 17-6 overall singles record, including a 16-2 mark in duals, and with a 21-11 overall record in doubles. Palumbo will graduate as Fairfield's all-time combined wins leader with 126 victories. He's 62-45 overall in singles and 64-54 in doubles.

Freshmen Joe Michalisin (Melville, N.Y.) finished the year by winning his 13th consecutive match at first singles with a 4-6, 7-5, 10-6 victory over Christian Coley. In his rookie campaign, Michalisin went 27-5 overall and 18-2 in duals.

Sophomore Rob Ferrante (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) had the other point for the Stags as he posted a 0-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Marcus von Nordheim at fourth singles. Ferrante closed out the year by winning his final six matches to improve of 16-11 overall and 12-6 in duals.

At No. 2 singles, freshman Dan Sauter (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) fell to Loic Sessagesimi, 6-4, 6-1. Sauter finished his rookie campaign with a 21-7 overall record and a 14-4 mark in duals. At third singles, freshman Aaron Chan (Thornhill, Ontario) was edged by Nicolas Pisecky, 6-3, 6-3, to finish 10-4 overall this season. At fifth singles, junior Ryan Berthod (White Plains, N.Y.) fell to Landon Greene, 6-2, 6-2. Berthod went 17-14 overall this season and 13-6 in duals.

Marist narrowly escaped with the doubles points, taking two out of three very close matches. At No. 2 doubles, Berthod and Sauter won their fifth-straight by pulling out the 9-7 decision over Sessagesimi and Himmelsbach. The Fairfield duo, nationally ranked earlier this season, finish with an 18-2 overall record including a 16-1 mark in duals.

Michalisin and Ferrante were edged by Coley and Rhys Hobbs, 8-5, at first doubles while Palumbo and Chan fell by the same margin to Greene and Pisecky.