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04/29/2017 12:00 AMThe Hand boys’ tennis team recently went a week without playing a match due to April Vacation, and there’s also been a lot of rain that’s affected its schedule. However, neither of those things has prevented the Tigers from keeping their eyes on the prize. Head Coach Dawn Fagerquist’s squad is currently maintaining the same focus that it would bring to a SCC or State Tournament championship match.
Last year, Hand went 18-1 for the regular season and then avenged its lone loss by edging Amity 4-3 in the SCC Tournament final to claim its third conference crown in four years. The Tigers followed that by scoring 22 points to finish just two behind New Canaan in their second-place showing at the Class L State Championship.
Thus far this season, Hand owns an unblemished record of 7-0 after recording four victories in last week’s action. The Tigers dispatched Branford 6-1 on April 24, beat North Haven 7-0 on April 26, earned a 4-3 win over Fairfield Prep the following day, and then finished the week with a big 6-1 victory versus Amity on April 28. The Amity win marked the first time that Hand defeated the Spartans at home in Coach Fagerquist’s tenure.
“We just have to stay focused and determined. We can’t let things like the rain get in our way. Overall, the boys have been working very hard in practice,” said Fagerquist. “We have to stick to business and focus on one match at a time. We tend to play not as strong versus weaker teams, so we don’t want any letdown.”
Hand features a tandem of top-notch seniors as their captains with No. 1 singles player Kyle Fay, who was a All-SCC Division I and All-State selection in 2016; and No. 1 doubles player Gianni LoMonaco, who contributed to 20 victories and reached the quarterfinals of states at the No. 3 spot last season. Coach Fagerquist said that Fay and LoMonaco form a tandem that brings a competitive fire to the Tigers’ matches, while displaying a passion for leadership away from the court.
“Kyle Fay is playing strong, just like his personality. He is looking to go undefeated this year. He is an all-around nice kid,” said Fagerquist, whose team’s other senior is doubles specialist Sam Thorpe. “Gianni is a good doubles player. He’s a great kid and enthusiastic. Both of them have done good jobs as captains.”
The Tigers have an added bonus of a solid freshman corps that includes the No. 3 doubles pairing of Darby Rogers and Jamie Watkins this season.
Hand’s sophomore class features several standouts in No. 2 singles player Noah Gulla, who won 19 matches and reached the quarterfinals of last year’s Class L doubles bracket; along with Max Thompson, who plays 3 and 4 singles; Kevin Li, who’s been playing No. 4 singles; and doubles competitor Nicholas Chieppo.
The Tigers’ juniors include doubles players Rob Israel, who teamed with Gulla at the Class L meet, after which the duo reached the State Open semifinals; and Alex Bueno, who was part of 16 wins and a state quarterfinal appearance for doubles in 2016; as well as singles player Justin Pace, who recorded 20 victories and made the state quarterfinals last season.
“We’ve had a lot of good freshmen that have been coming in. I like to call the No. 3 doubles team our ‘Dream Team.’ They work well together and jell together. They can go all the way. Kids like Kevin and Nicholas are maturing and coming out of their shells. Max is learning his role, and you always want to win those matches at No. 3 and 4 singles,” Coach Fagerquist said. “Our sophomores are hungry, our juniors are determined, and the seniors are fired up. A lot of our kids have grown up, and every kid is hungry and determined.”
Facing Branford last week, the Tigers’ triumphs came from Fay (6-1, 6-0), Gulla (6-4, 6-2), and Li (6-2, 6-3) on the singles court, as well as the doubles teams of Israel and Bueno (6-2, 6-0), Chieppo and LoMonaco (6-0, 6-0), and Rogers and Watkins (6-0, 6-0).
In the North Haven victory, Fay (6-1, 6-1), Gulla (6-0, 6-0), Pace (6-0, 6-0), Thompson (6-0, 6-1) all prevailed in straight sets, while the tandems of Israel and LoMonaco (6-4, 7-5), Bueno and Thorpe (6-0, 6-0), plus Rogers and Watkins (8-0) were also victorious.
Although there’s still a lot of tennis left to be played, the Tigers feel confident that they can run the table through the regular season. After that, it will be time for Hand to try and attain some more postseason glory, and Coach Fagerquist feels the most crucial piece for the Tigers is to remain faithful in both themselves and the system.
“I’m big on teamwork. It’s not about having a great team. It’s about looking for the team that has potential and knows how to use it,” said Fagerquist. “The kids have worked hard over the winter, and they are starting to recognize they are good and trusting me as their coach. We are hoping to go undefeated, and I think we can do it.”
From the Sidelines
Dawn Fagerquist returns for her seventh season as the head coach of the Hand boys’ tennis squad.
The SCC Division I Tournament begins with first round play on Monday, May 22 and concludes with the final on Wednesday, May 24 atYale University at 3 p.m.
The Class L State Tournament will take place from Saturday, May 27 through Thursday, June 1 with the final slated for Thursday, June 1 at Conard High School in West Hartford.