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04/25/2015 12:00 AMHead Coach Matt Fraenza and Branford boys’ tennis set a goal of winning 10 of their 17 matches this season. Although the Hornets dropped three of their first four, the squad took a big step toward reaching that goal by winning two recent home contests to improve to 3-3. Fraenza’s club first earned a 5-2 win versus Shelton at Veteran’s Park, after which Branford blanked Cross 7-0 at its familiar confines of the MacVeigh Complex.
“We’re trying to go 10-7 and are on pace for that, so that’s a good feeling going forward. Our guys are starting to bond, put in even more practice time, and they really have a passion for improving their games,” Coach Fraenza said. “We have a relaxed, fun group of guys who enjoy spending time with each other, but who turn it on when they need to on match day.”
The Hornets had their game-faces on in upending Shelton by winning three of the four singles matches and two of three in doubles play. Against Cross, Branford made it clean sweep by winning all seven duels.
“We had our full lineup for the first time and it was a nice team effort to come out strong against Shelton. We’re trying to limit our unforced errors and not beat ourselves and that match was a good example of that,” said Fraenza. “There were tough conditions against with temperatures in the 40s and the wind, but we stayed strong mentally and were consistent from the get-go.”
Branford’s No. 1 singles player is junior Matt Sachs, who won two matches in the Class M State Tournament a season ago. Sachs took a 6-3, 6-4 loss versus Shelton, but came back to post a 6-0, 6-0 triumph over his Cross competitor.
Jared Platt has been faring quite well at the No. 2 position. The senior captain won a three-set marathon, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, in the Shelton match, followed by a 6-4, 6-0 triumph against Cross.
“Matt is improving with playing in outdoor conditions. He’s trying to get used to that as he plays a lot of indoor tennis and he’s doing well. Matt is a team leader on and off the court and that’s a good sign,” Fraenza said. “Jared is the perfect example of what you want in a senior captain. He’s a great role model for our younger players with his attitude and is so nice to everyone on the team. I was impressed with his ability to go deep into that match [against Shelton], show off his fitness, and pull off a three-setter.”
Junior Stas Balaji is the Hornets’ guy at No. 3 singles and he claimed victory in his recent matches by earning a 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) win versus Shelton and then posting a 6-0, 6-0 landslide against the Governors.
No. 4 singles player Bradley Stutzman, a freshman, also prevailed 6-0, 6-0 in the Cross contest after he had rallied for a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Shelton.
“Stas played doubles last year and he’s made a smooth transition to singles. He has a great work ethic and stays after practice to work on his game. He played smart and patient tennis in his win against Shelton,” said Fraenza. “Bradley is developing confidence. He lost his first three matches, but rebounded with a doubles win and then won at 4 singles in our last two matches. He’s really improving and that win against Shelton was important for him.”
Moving to doubles, the Hornets’ junior duo of Miles Conlin and Dan O’Neill sports the team’s best record as they’re 6-0 in the top slot and had no trouble taking down their adversaries from Shelton (6-3, 6-0) and Cross (6-0, 6-0).
At No. 2, senior Zach DiNoto and sophomore Aedan Spaar dropped a close contest by the score of 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 10-8 in the Shelton match, followed by a 6-0, 6-0 win versus Cross.
Branford’s No. 3 team consists of senior Aaron Radulski and junior Matt Lombardi. The pair is 3-1 and cruised to victories versus both Shelton (6-1, 6-1) and Cross (6-0, 6-0).
“Miles and Dan are real solid doubles players who created chemistry when they went 12-8 last year. They feed off each other, move to the net well, and just understand how to play doubles,” Coach Fraenza said. “Aeden and Zach have also found some chemistry. Aedan is consistent and Zach has the experience. They’re starting to jell and can be a strong team as they keep progressing. Aaron and Matt both have experience from playing in the state tournament in singles last year and they bring a lot of leadership with a good record so far this year.”
Fraenza also noted that sophomores Nick Cordero and Alec Carlson have contributed in the doubles lineup early on. He additionally credited the team’s other senior captain, Justin Campos, for displaying exemplary leadership in terms of his personality and by always being there to answer questions and lend a helping hand to the Hornets’ underclassmen.
Notes
Matt Fraenza is in his second season as Branford’s head coach. Fraenza was a senior captain for the Hornets before graduating in 1998 and then competed for all four years at Division II Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. Fraenza lives in Branford and works as a tennis pro at Guilford Racquet & Swim Club.
Branford competes in Tier II of Division I in the SCC. The other teams in the Hornets’ tier are Sheehan, Notre Dame-West Haven, Xavier, and Cheshire.
Last year, the Hornets went 9-9 for the regular season. They then took a 6-0 loss to Fairfield Prep in the SCC Division I Tournament quarterfinals, followed by an appearance in the Class M State Championship, which the team had qualified for with a 5-2 win at Foran in their regular season finale.