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Boys' Tennis Stayed Hot, Healthy, Dedicated in Winning State Title

Sometimes in sports, the best chance to win a title is first getting a mere taste of it. That's exactly what did the trick for Guilford boys' tennis this spring.

After missing out of their first state title since 2010 by two points to three-time defending Class M champion Avon last spring, the Indians tirelessly pushed themselves to grab the gold this season. The dedication paid off for Guilford, which beat out those same Falcons 21-19 to reclaim the Class M crown on June 4 at Yale.

"Our goal is always to peak come tournament time at the end of the season and stay injury free," said Head Coach Andy Raucci, whose squad finished 18-4 overall and also reached the semis of the SCC Division I Tournament. "Our biggest accomplishment of the season was staying focused in June and winning Class M State Tournament."

While this was Raucci's first campaign without designated captains, Guilford had strong leaders in seniors Luke Lemieux and Niall Kneerim, along with junior Matt Murphy, who guided the younger players. Murphy and Lemieux (New Haven Register All-Area Team) ended up playing an even greater role toward the title, as they teamed up in the state tournament to win the double's draw by edging out Avon's Mike Arciero and Mike Thramann 6-0, 6-3 in the finals.

"We did have several players step up and lead unselfishly like Luke Lemieux, Matt Murphy and Niall Kneerim," said Raucci.

For doubles champions Lemieux and Murphy in the states draw, they secured a first-round bye before breezing past Gerry Chica and Eli Engstrom of Sheehan (6-0, 6-0), and then earning another quick win against Avon's Austin Chen and Alex Herz (6-2, 6-0). In the quarterfinals, the two swept Benjamin Piche and Asa Scranton from Woodstock Academy (6-1, 6-2) prior to doing the same versus Micah Fox and Kevin Sisco of Ellington/Somers (6-0, 6-1) in the round of 4.

For SCCs in the Division I Tournament, Guilford (seeded 4th) scored a 7-0 quarterfinal sweep of No. 5 Cheshire before a 6-1 loss the next day to champion Hand in the semifinals.

Lemieux (All-SCC Team) and Murphy made the All-State Team, along with sophomore soloist Evan Powell (also All-SCC Team). For the second straight postseason, Powell made the semifinals of the state singles bracket before bowing out to eventual winner Bradley Orban of Foran (1-6, 2-6).

For team honors, Lemieux was named team MVP; sophomore Jackson Inchalik was awarded Most Improved Player honors; and Powell was recipient of the Sportsmanship Award.

Murphy will captain the squad next season as the Indians defend their title. To retain the throne, Raucci feels it will require the same ingredients that brewed this crown.

"It all depends on how committed our players are to improving themselves in the offseason," said Raucci.

Rounding out the roster were seniors Jared Boudreau, Ben Eng, Lane Inchalik, and Wiley Small; juniors Joe Boughton, Cameron Charbonneau, and Milo Roth; sophomores Michael Ciardiello, Jordan Genovese, Sean Hackett, Andrew Ignoto, David Kegel, Paul Malafronte, Aiden O'Callahan, and Luke Vilaseca; plus freshmen Jeff Eng, Connor Lemieux, and Christian Steininger.