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06/24/2019 12:00 AMThe Guilford boys’ tennis team continued solidifying the fact that it’s a contender within SCC and state ranks this spring. Along the way, the Indians battled hard throughout close matches, while gaining experience that fortified their potential for future success.
Head Coach Rob Messer’s club posted a regular-season record of 15-4 to earn the No. 4 seed in the SCC Tournament. Guilford claimed a 5-1 victory over No. 5 seed Xavier in the quarterfinal round, before taking a 6-1 loss against top-seeded eventual champion Hand in the semifinals to finish with a record of 16-5 in match play. The Indians went to finish in a fifth-place tie with Farmington at the Class L State Championship.
Coach Messer felt satisfied with the way things unfolded this spring. Led by a stellar singles lineup, Messer saw his squad put together an impressive body of work during the 2019 campaign.
“This year was a lot of what I expected. Our core of players grew big time on and off the court, and the people playing in those No. 1 to 3 spots helped us get big wins,” said Messer. “With the juniors transferring into seniors, they just kept grinding out tough three-set matches, whether they won or lost them. All of what I hoped to see I did see, and so I was happy and proud about that.”
The regular season featured plenty of notable moments for Guilford. The Indians started off with a victory versus a strong non-conference opponent, after which they knocked off a couple of perennial SCC title contenders and then gave Hand everything it could handle in a rematch between the rivals.
“We started off the season by beating Hall in a close 5-2 match, which was our first win over them in the last four years. We came back in a lot of matches, which set the tone for our matches this year,” said Messer. “We also beat Amity for the first time in over 20 years. We also beat Fairfield Prep in a close match, plus we came from behind to beat Cheshire and Xavier. Our highlight was in a [4-3] loss in our second match with Hand. It showed we belonged with them with a close match, and it was a big moment, because it showed we could compete with the best.”
Noah Horton and Erik Mastalerz led the Indians as the team’s senior captains this season. Horton formed one half of Guilford’s No. 1 doubles tandem, while Mastalerz alternated between playing No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles. Each captain took on a distinct leadership role for the Indians, but both athletes set a similar template of success for their teammates through their actions.
“Noah was huge in building the team camaraderie that I set out to build when I got here as coach. He was big on team breakfasts on Saturdays and pasta parties,” Coach Messer said. “Erik dotted the Is and crossed the Ts with logistics. But whenever push came to shove, he rose above expectations on the court. I’m proud of how he stood out as a leader and came through in big matches. Both did a nice job in their leadership roles.”
Guilford’s singles lineup also included junior Gianni Esposito, who posted a record of 18-5 playing the No. 1 position; and fellow junior Alex Kagan, who went 16-3 playing No. 2 singles. Both athletes made the All-SCC Team and collected New Haven Register All-Area honors. Esposito also qualified for the State Open Championship and advanced to the quarterfinals after winning his opening match. Sophomore Walker Mulligan played the No. 3 singles position.
Freshman Dominic Dadak competed alongside Horton in the No. 1 doubles slot for Guilford. The sophomore duo of Ethan DeAngelo and Ronan McDermott played No. 2 doubles, with Mastalerz also seeing time at that spot. Senior Nicholas Antony, fellow senior Ethan Corpuel, and junior Nicholas Cimino all saw time in the No. 3 doubles position.
While the Indians came up a little short of their ultimate postseason goals, they still benefited from having so many underclassmen get valuable reps under their belts this year. Coach Messer believes that those athletes will be eager to bring home the gold when they return as veterans next spring.
“We set out to make the SCC Tournament final and didn’t do it. We beat the teams we needed to beat earlier, but fell short against them down the stretch. But I am happy with our growth,” said Messer. “We’re dissatisfied with our result in SCCs, so that will be on our bulletin board for next year. Talent-wise, I think we’re ready to be in the SCC final, and we’re hungry. We fully expect to compete in the SCC and Class L.”
From the Sidelines
This was Rob Messer’s fourth season as the head coach for the Guilford boys’ tennis team.
During the regular season, Guilford recorded two victories against Xavier (4-3 and 4-3) to go with one win apiece versus Hall (5-2), Fairfield Prep (5-2), Amity (4-3), Lyman Hall (6-1), Hamden (7-0), Notre Dame-West Haven (6-1), Cheshire (4-3), North Haven (7-0), East Haven (5-2), Branford (6-1), Foran (6-1), and Shelton (5-2).
Guilford’s losses came against Hand (6-1 and 4-3), Amity (4-3), and Fairfield Prep (4-3).