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07/08/2019 12:00 AMThe Hand boys’ tennis squad had some major expectations when the Tigers entered the 2019 season as the defending SCC champions. However, Hand rose to the occasion by fielding a deep team of competitive athletes who kept their eyes on the prize from day one and came away from the campaign with a second-straight conference crown, as well as an undefeated record.
Head Coach Dawn Fagerquist’s club earned the No. 1 seed in the SCC Tournament following a 19-0 regular season. After starting off the draw with victories over North Haven (7-0) and Guilford (6-1), Hand squared off against No. 2 seed Amity for the second year in a row and the third time in four years in the title bout. The Tigers, who had defeated Amity twice during the regular season, made it 3-for-3 versus the Spartans by netting a 7-0 sweep in the conference final.
With the win, Hand captured its fourth SCC championship, put a bow on a 22-0 record for the year, and also extended its winning streak to 58-consecutive matches. The Tigers went on to finish in third place at the Class L State Championship.
Coach Fagerquist felt a tremendous sense of pride when examining everything that her team achieved this spring.
“The boys knew what they wanted to accomplish, and the freshmen that came in certainly saw what this team was all about,” Fagerquist said. “After 58-straight wins, everyone is on cloud nine and will try to keep the streak going. I was so proud of them this year.”
No. 2 singles player Noah Gulla and No. 2 doubles competitor Nick Chieppo led the Tigers’ championship charge as the team’s senior captains. Fagerquist praised the duo for being exemplary leaders who set a great example for the next generation of players in the program.
“They were both leaders that helped me out a lot, along with the underclassmen. They showed what leaders should be,” said Fagerquist. “They showed how leaders keep the team together and show responsibility. The freshmen needed guidance this year, and those two gave it to them.”
When looking at the defining moments of the campaign, Coach Fagerquist didn’t single out a particular match. Instead, Fagerquist noted the championship efforts of several players who had battled through some adversity earlier in the year.
“Noah Gulla had a couple of tough losses and dealt with an injury this season. But in his last SCC final, he played an unbelievable match. Something triggered in him, and he brought his best,” Fagerquist said. “My No. 1 doubles team of sophomore Reilly Vejar and junior Darby Rogers played two unbelievable matches against Guilford and Amity in the semis and final. Something triggered in them, as well, and they were ready to play.”
Gulla, Vejar, Rogers, and sophomore No. 1 singles player Josh Israel all made the All-SCC Team on behalf of Hand this season. Israel, also earned All-State honors, made the New Haven Register All-Area Team, and was named the Register’s All-Area Most Valuable Player—the first player in program history to garner that distinction. Israel was also selected as the SCC’s Player of the Year and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the SCC Tournament.
Following Israel and Gulla at the top two spots, freshman Sebastien Lowy played No. 3 singles for the Tigers, while sophomore David Levchenko competed out of the No. 4 slot this year. Along with the No. 1 team of Rogers and Vejar, Hand’s doubles lineup also featured the No. 2 pairing of Chieppo and freshman Will deChabert, along with the No. 3 tandem of junior Jamie Watkins and sophomore John Van Ostenbridge.
The Tigers meshed together seamlessly in order to create a campaign for the ages this year. As the page turns to next season, Coach Fagerquist likes the fact that Hand has so many up-and-coming athletes who will be hungry to earn their spots in the lineup in 2020.
“This team was really special. I never had eight freshmen try out and all make the team. Two of them started, and I’m looking for the others to work hard in the offseason if they want to try and start,” said Fagerquist. “We don’t have a lot of incoming freshmen, so hopefully, the sophomores will push some of the juniors and seniors to compete and keep their spots in the lineup.”
From the Sidelines
The Tigers’ roster additionally featured senior Maxwell Thompson; juniors Ryan Hennessey and Christian Northrup; and freshmen Will Fumex, Maximo Gulla, Patrick Hennessey, Charles McIntyre, Ethan Speerli, and Rob Washburne.
This marked the fourth year in a row that Hand reached the SCC final. The Tigers defeated Amity by a 6-1 score in the SCC Division I championship in 2016. The next year, Hand took a 5-2 loss to Fairfield Prep in the SCC final. Last year, Hand blanked Amity by a 7-0 score to take the title.
During the regular season, Hand posted victories over Guilford (6-1 and 4-3), Xavier (6-1 and 5-2), Fairfield Prep (6-1 and 6-2), Amity (7-0, and 6-1), South Windsor (7-0), Hamden (7-0), Foran (7-0), East Haven (7-0), Lyman Hall (4-0), North Haven (6-1), Notre Dame-West Haven (7-0), West Haven (7-0), Cheshire (7-0), Shelton (7-0), and Branford (7-0).