Salem Observer : tennis

Salem bounced from tourney in q-final

Salem Editor — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:26:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Salem boys tennis team entered the Class L tournament against Pinkerton looking to defend its state championship title, but ended the day defenseless as the Astros eliminated the Blue Devils in the quarterfinals.

Following a 12-2 regular season record, Salem entered the playoffs as the No. 3 team and earned a home match that was twice postponed by rain.

In the regular-season match up, the Blue Devils snuck past Pinkerton in a 5-4 win on May 13, but the Astros prevailed on Saturday, May 30, 6-3.

Salem trailed 4-2 following singles play after its top four players suffered setbacks. Nick Letizio and Nick Noshirwani earned victories at No. 5 and No. 6 to keep their team’s hopes alive.

Noshirwani’s victory took extra time, as he won 9-8 following a 7-4 tiebreaker to finish his individual season record at 14-1.

The efforts from the bottom of the ladder were not enough as the team’s top two doubles teams were toppled, though Jordan Faulconer and Mike Michalczyk came away with a victory at No. 3 doubles.

Salem mentor Mike Jolicoeur said the layoff in between his team’s regular season finale and its playoff opener may have had an impact.

“We had about a week off, the weather to deal with and some other distractions, so it was a bad combination,” said Jolicoeur. “It’s tough not knowing when you are actually going to play, so the timing was just bad.”

Jolicoeur also said his squad knew Pinkerton, the sixth-seeded team in Class L, was a formidable challenge. The Astros made statements at No. 3 and No. 4 singles play in matches Jolicoeur believed his players would win.

During the regular-season meeting, Brian Peltz lost in a tiebreaker, and Faulconer earned a victory, but the playoff scores were 8-2 and 8-3, respectively.

Seven seniors graduate from this team, and next year’s squad also loses Windham residents to the new high school.

“I think we’re going to struggle,” said Jolicoeur. “We won’t return anybody who has seen any playing time. I think we’ll be young, but if there is a positive, that’s it. There are guys who will be in the program for a couple years.”

Salem pulls one upset – nearly two – in playoffs

Salem Editor — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:21:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Besides Curt Killion, his Salem girls tennis team and the optimistic SHS supporters, few Class L playoff followers expected the Blue Devils to reach the state semifinals. Instead, sixthseeded Salem knocked off one higher-ranked foe to do just that, then pushed another to the limit before exiting the tournament just shy of the finals.

SHS reversed a 6-3 setback to Exeter on May 18, stunning the No. 3 seed in the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 28, but couldn’t duplicate the feat against No. 2 Concord, which beat the locals on Saturday, May 30, 5-4.

The Crimson Tide edged the Blue Devils by an identical score on May 6, sweeping the three doubles matches to overcome a 4-2 Salem lead following singles play. Killion said his charges needed to repeat that singles effort to oust Concord in the semis.

Salem, as Killion requested throughout the postseason, swung hard but narrowly missed the target.

Sophomore Danica Blakslee at No. 2, freshman Rachel Ward at No. 3 and junior Breanna Edelstein, down 2-0 early in her contest at No. 6, won their singles matches, but No. 1 Angela Rullo and No. 5 Cassie Hailson dropped theirs.

As fans, players and coaches gathered round, Caitlin Peters battled Amanda Unger before succumbing, 8-6, leaving the teams deadlocked at 3-3 entering doubles play.

“(Concord’s) doubles were so strong, we really had to win four singles matches to have a realistic chance,” said Killion, in his 20th year coaching. But Salem not only refused to go quietly, the team quickly took a 4-3 lead when Peters, a senior, teamed with Hailson, a freshman, to easily dispatch their opponents at No. 3 doubles, 8-1.

Rullo and Ward, another senior/freshman combination, couldn’t keep pace at No. 1 doubles with Concord’s duo, falling 8-2, while Blakslee and senior Julianna Blaisdell were beaten at No. 2 doubles, 8-4. Even in defeat, the Blakslee/ Blaisdell team scared Concord, cutting a sizeable 7-2 deficit to 7-4 with their shotmaking.

It was the first time Killion had paired Rullo with Ward and Blakslee with Blaisdell. Taking chances was something the coach felt comfortable doing with this group.

“I told them before the (Exeter) match that I didn’t want them sitting back and waiting for (their opponent to make) a mistake,” said the coach. “I told them to crush the ball. Just rip it, and let’s see what happens. They were a little surprised.”

Exeter was, too.

Blakslee, Peters, Hailson and Edelstein won their singles matches against the Blue Hawks. Though Rullo and fellow senior Angela Vinci lost their No. 1 doubles match, Blakslee and Ward at No. 2, as well as Peters and Hailson in the No. 3 spot they’ve dominated since teaming up at midseason, handily won.

“We’ve had other upset wins since I’ve been here, but never one with this gap in rankings,” said Killion, whose team finished 11-5. “The final score was a surprise to me. The fact that we won wasn’t a surprise.”

While Salem loses a number of key players – all of the aforementioned seniors and their classmates, Gabriella Cerrentani and Kelsey Donahue, along with Windham’s Ward, who heads to her new high school – Killion has lots of talent returning.

The steadily improving Blakslee, he said, should prove a formidable top-ranked player as a junior. Edelstein and her classmate, Kina Wilbur- Kamien, also come back for a final year, and Hailson has three years remaining.

“Caitlin started playing as a sophomore, but everyone else has been here for four years,” said Killion, who added, of course, he hoped Windham and Salem could have continued their partnership. “To have so many girls that are all pretty even, they handled the stress really well and were all good friends.”

Blue Devils roll into playoffs as No. 3 seed with 12-2 record

Salem Editor — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:15:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

It was no coincidence where the Salem High School boys tennis team held its first preseason meeting.

The Blue Devils sat as a group beneath the 2008 state championship banner hanging at the school, and head coach Mike Jolicoeur hoped to send a message to his team.

“We wanted the guys to get a sense for what this season meant,” said Jolicoeur.

“They knew it’d be an uphill battle to try to duplicate what those guys did last year, and they know that still.”

Salem’s quest for a second straight title remains possible; the Blue Devils wrapped up a 12-2 regular season with a 9-0 victory against Dover on Friday, May 22.

With the win, the Blue Devils sealed the third seed in the Class L postseason. The closest match of the day came during No. 1 singles play. Joel Vastl earned a hard-fought 9-7 victory to cap a stellar regular-season record of 11-3.

Jolicoeur said the key to Vastl’s success comes from his powerful first serve, which, when accurate, causes his foes fits. “When he (hits puts his first serve in play), he’s extremely hard to beat,” said the coach.

Nick Noshirwani posted the best individual mark for the Blue Devils, and with a win over Dover in the No. 5 spot, he finished the regular season at 13-1.

Though Salem won the state title last year, only two players in this year’s ladder played regularly in ’08. Vastl was the No. 4 singles player, while Chris Correia played from the sixth spot.

Correia had been struggling entering the match with Dover, but came away with an easy 8-2 win over Nate Muscato.

The Class L tournament is scheduled to begin with a firstround match up with rival Pinkerton on Thursday, May 28, at 4 p.m., at Griffin Park.

Although Salem had already clinched the match with Dover after singles play, Jolicoeur decided his usual doubles teams required additional court time.

“Normally if we had won six singles, we wouldn’t have played them,” he said. “We didn’t look that good in doubles against Exeter, so we wanted to get them some work entering the postseason.”

Young Pelham team determined to continue improvement

Salem Editor — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:02:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Sean Corrigan joked that he’s a first-year teacher, first-year coach and first-year adult.

The Pelham girls tennis coach hopes to continue his own maturation process alongside his players this season and in years to come.

On Monday, May 11, the Pythons fell to upstart Bedford, 8-1, but Corrigan looked on during the matches with an eye towards the future.

With the loss, Pelham fell to 3-7 on the year, but with only two seniors in the starting rotation, the mentor remains upbeat.

“We have a lot of promise and young players,” said Corrigan. “We have a lot of players who want to get better and are determined to improve their game.”

The closest singles match came at No. 4; Jacky Ta battled back before falling to Lauren Pritchard, 8-6.

Megan Szmyt and Shannon Krauss are the top two singles players for the Pythons, and the only seniors in the rotation.

Janelle Gordon, in her first year of competitive play, could vie for the top spot next year in Szmyt’s absence. Gordon has taken lessons for years but picked up a racquet in March and has since become one of the better players on the team.

Also performing well this season has been junior Nicole Mastacouris, whom Corrigan said has been one of the silver linings in a sub-par season for Pelham. The No. 6 singles player has gone 7-3 so far, despite losing her match to Bedford’s Ally Mahoney by an 8-4 margin.

In addition, Mastacouris battled wrist tendonitis but played her doubles match.

“It shows she has a lot of desire and is here to play,” said Corrigan. “It sets a great example to the team that she is willing to play no matter the circumstances.”

Corrigan keenly watched an exhibition doubles contest featuring sophomores Kammi Mickle and Kayla Soares.

The coach said he looks forward to seeing the duo in his future rotation and said the exhibition matches help them gain competitive experience.

Another aspect of the loss that Corrigan found beneficial was playing a team far ahead of his squad in the standings.

“When you play a top-seeded team, you get to see how they carry themselves,” said Corrigan. “I’m glad they can see how winning teams do the little things. It isn’t only about how you hit the ball, it’s about the cohesiveness of the team.”

Salem High School seeks second tennis title with group of upperclassmen

Salem Editor — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:20:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Mike Jolicoeur doesn’t have to look far to find a senior among his starting rotation.

Every member of the Salem High School boys tennis coach’s lineup is in his final year with the school, and the mentor hopes the depth he possesses helps earn the Blue Devils a second consecutive Class L title.

“Most of our kids play yearround,” said Jolicoeur. “They don’t just come up and pick up their racquet for the first time in April or March. Most of them have been playing since they were young kids.”

Last year the team worked past the state semifinals for the first time en route to the only boys tennis championship in school history, and this year the coach is relying heavily on three of the main pieces from that unit.

Joel Vastl, who played at No. 4 in 2008, enters this year on the top rung of the Blue Devil ladder, with Chris Correia and Jordan Faulconer serving as the other two seasoned players on the court this year.

Jolicoeur expects Correia to play in the second spot in the rotation, followed by Faulconer at No. 3.

Vastl performed well last season, but playing No. 1 requires adjustment.

“Joel brings a lot of experience,” said Jolicoeur. “He was successful when he played (No. 4). Going from four to one is a tough step up. He’s a competitive guy and knows what he’s up against.”

This year’s No. 4 is likely Brian Peltz, while Mike Michalczyk and Nick Noshirwani have battled for playing time. Jolicoeur said Michalczyk appears to be in the fifth spot for the time being followed by Noshirwani, although that may change.

It is the final spots that Jolicoeur said increase his team’s chances to repeat.

“Our four, five and six players will be a real strength for us this year,” the coach said. “Those are guys who at a lot of other schools could play two or three.” The Blue Devils title defense was scheduled to start on Wednesday, April 15, against Goffstown.

“Our guys understand that we’re defending champions in Class L,” said Jolicoeur. “We’re going to fight to put that crown on again.”

Salem’s lineup – talented throughout – set to battle Class L’s best

Salem Editor — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:37:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Following an 8-7 record and first-round exit from last year’s Class L tournament, Salem girls tennis coach Curt Killion said he believes his team could be a top four team this season – or out of the playoff hunt entirely.

“My guess is that we’ll have a lot of matches come down to if we win or lose one set,” said Killion. “We could be a top team if we can squeak those out, or we could find ourselves at the bottom of the pile.”

Killion has the squad working in tiebreaker scenarios, preparing the athletes to respond with poise in pressure-packed moments.

Senior co-captains Andrea Vinci and Caitlin Peters lead this year. Peters was a top performer in 2008, posting a 12-2 record.

Angela Rullo, also a senior, junior Breanna Edelstein, sophomore Danica Blakslee and freshman Rachel Ward join Vinci and Peters in the top six positions to open the season, though Killion said the rotation is not set.

Ward, a Windham resident, may take the No. 1 spot, but the competition remains wide open for ladder positioning.

In addition, Killion has a logjam just outside the top six, with five players competing for playing time.

Seniors Julianna Blaisdell, Gabriela Cerrentani and Kelsey Donahue join junior Kina Wilbur- Kamien and freshman Cassie Hailson as Blue Devils on the outside looking in, something the coach said is a luxury.

“Say there’s someone not hitting the ball well for some reason, I can with complete confidence have them sit down knowing the players under them can do just as good of a job,” said Killion. “On the other hand, it can be frustrating because I have players who have the talent and can’t be playing.”

Killion said lopsided matches allow him to change the rotation and give inexperienced players a chance, but again, he expects this deep SHS team to battle most foes closely.

“It makes me wish we were able to play more than six players,” said Killion. “We’d probably be state champions.”

Maturity leads Salem boys' tennis team to first title in program history

Salem Editor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:33:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

They finally made it to the altar. All that was left was a lift of the veil for a ceremonial kiss.

In this case, the altar was the Class L boys tennis title match, and the kiss was the finishing touch on an undefeated season.

The grooms were, of course, the Blue Devils of Salem. And they left no doubt who the best men were.

On Wednesday, May 28, Salem, a team that had never reached the state title contest in the program’s 57-year history, won it, defeating upstart Londonderry, 5-4, to wear the crown.

“They showed their tennis maturity in being steady on the court,” said Londonderry coach Bill Knee, who noted the Blue Devils could have easily folded in pivotal situations, but instead maintained their composure throughout.

That was never more evident than in doubles action. Tim Briggs and Jordan Faulconer fell to Londonderry’s No. 3 unit, 8-1, and the No. 1 duo of Michael Cohen and Bobby Pike had lost an early 3-0 lead and were trailing, 7-6.

Joel Vastl and Jeff Bunker, in No. 2 doubles, were ahead 6-1, but fell in back-to-back games to let their opponents back into the match. They quickly rebounded, however, and secured an 8-3 victory and the Class L title.

The team briefly cheered, then watched Cohen and Pike play out a 9-8 tiebreaker loss.

That’s when the real celebration began; each player was presented a medal and the team hoisted its trophy high.

“I was so nervous … to the point I didn’t even want to watch,” said Michael Jolicouer, Salem’s head coach. “But it was really a great, great victory over a great team that really fought right to the end.”

Experience, said Bunker, keyed his team’s success this season.

“Everyone out here has been playing at least two years at the varsity level, and we work so well together,” he said. “I mean, we know how to pull each other out of the biggest slumps we can get ourselves into and get our heads back on our shoulders.

“Last year we thought we could do it, but there was still some doubt,” he added. “But even then, we were talking about how this would be our big year.”

Not one player, said Bunker, took the opportunity for granted. Prior to doubles, Salem’s No. 1, Cohen, did an about-face, winning his match against Alex Burbine, 8- 2, after losing to the same foe, 8-0, earlier this season.

Bunker, the Blue Devils’ No. 2, won, 8-5, and Pike held off his opponent, 8-6.

Though Vastl and Briggs each lost, 8-3, and 8-6, respectively, Chris Correia assured Salem’s edge heading into doubles with an 8-5 victory.

Cohen and Bunker, said Jolicouer, were central to the team’s success this season. Though Bunker was the No. 1 last year, the two flipped positions after Cohen won an early-season challenge match.

“We kind of expected they would have a rivalry all year long,” said Jolicouer. “But Bunker really thrived at (No.) 2 and he said, ‘You know, if Mike is having a hard time at No. 1, I’ll challenge him and I’ll try to take the position back,’ but it never happened. The team just really jelled.”

Bunker played doubles with Vastl the last two years. This season, the two bandana-clad standouts went undefeated together.

“Joel is a hockey player that plays tennis, and Bunker is a tennis player that plays tennis all year round, so last year was a little bit rough getting Joel out of that hockey mentality because the tennis season is so short,” said Jolicouer. “But you can see they’ve really come together and thrived. They’re both big kids, they’re athletic, they have good, hard serves, and hey, look at their record, you can’t really say much more than that.”

If Cohen and Bunker were the soul, and Vastl was the muscle, then Pike, said Jolicouer, was the heart.

“He’s just been amazing,” said the mentor. “He never stops battling, he’s put guys in check when he’s needed to, and he’s just been a great inspiration for our everyone out there.”

While Briggs was solid at No. 5 all season, Correia wasn’t the team’s No. 6 at the beginning of the year, said the coach, but challenged and earned the spot. He didn’t lose a match.

“Some of the seniors were a little concerned he didn’t have the experience, that he was a junior, and yet he just came out and was professional about taking over the job,” said Jolicouer. “Hands down, our most improved player from last year was Chris Correia.”

Now that the season is complete, Jolicouer admitted the Blue Devils’ success this season surprised even him.

“I didn’t expect to go undefeated, certainly not,” he said. “I mean, there are some really good Class L schools out there. It’s hard to win, let alone go 17-0, so when we got to about 10 wins, we just stopped talking about it.”

Enough said.

Salem girls tennis team defies odds, reaches playoffs, pleases coach

Salem Editor — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:59:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Prior to the season, Curt Killion modestly said if certain pieces fell into place his team had a small shot at the playoffs.

Two weeks and six contests in, the Salem girls tennis coach said the squad had to win every tight matchup remaining to accomplish the goal.

In the season’s final week, he smiled, knowing the Lady Blue Devils had accomplished something no one expected.

And following a 9-0 loss to defending champ Central in the Class L quarterfinals, Killion expressed an unusual emotion for a coach who just watched his team fall in a seasonending shutout – joy.

“This is probably the biggest overachievement for any team I’ve ever coached,” he said. “I mean, our team was very flat. In other words, my No. 1 wasn’t that much better than my No. 6, and we just didn’t have the strength at the top of our ladder to compete.

“That put a lot of pressure on the girls at the bottom, but they really came through,” Killion continued.

“I’ve had strong teams underachieve, and I’ve had weak teams play like weak teams, but I’ve never had a team like this do so well.”

Killion wasn’t knocking his squad. Rather, he was acknowledging the staunch competition his charges faced each day.

Yet they finished with an 8-6 record and earned the playoff’s No. 7 seed. To get there, SHS won four of five one-point contests – against Alvirne, Merrimack, Timberlane and Dover.

“That’s what really made the difference, those tight wins that could have gone either way,” said Killion.

Salem also beat Memorial and Trinity, 7-2, and Winnacunnet and Keene, 6-3.

Against Central in the playoffs, No. 1 Angela Rullo wasn’t able to play, so the rest of the ladder was bumped up a spot, and despite hard-fought efforts, each fell, said Killion.

Aside from his team’s general success on the court, Killion noted another achievement for his squad this year.

“In prior years we were afraid to go to a no-cut policy because we felt practices wouldn’t be as effective for our starting players with so many girls on the courts, and some of our past captains also felt it would damage the closeness of the team,” said the coach. “But we gave it a try this year and went with 25 players, and (captain) Nicole Antonelli really helped keep everyone together. I’m really happy we made the move because we all had a lot of fun, and it gave a lot of kids that ordinarily wouldn’t be doing anything this spring a chance to learn tennis and be part of a team.”

Though the Lady Blue Devils graduate Rullo, No. 3 Antonelli and No. 4 Fay Long, they return No. 2 Danica Blakslee, a freshman, and juniors Caitlin Peters and Julianna Blaisdell, their No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Junior Andrea Vinci, who played No. 1 doubles with Rullo, and sophomore Breanna Edelstein, Salem’s No. 7, also return.

Salem boys tennis reaches state championship match with lopsided victory

Salem Editor — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:50:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

The Blue Devils may have put a thorough thrashing on his squad, but Central coach Mark Telge couldn’t be happier for those on the opposite side of the tennis court.

Following an 8-1 Salem victory in the state semifinals on Saturday, May 24, Telge spoke openly about Salem’s chances to win a championship and his bond to the program.

“Their former coach, Bob Rhoades (who died just prior to the 2006 tennis season), he was probably my best friend in the state tennis circle, and I hope he’s watching up there,” said Telge.

“If they’re going to win a title, let it be at my expense. I know he’d appreciate it. “Salem deserves everything they get,” he continued. “To be honest with you, I don’t think anybody can stop these guys. It’s a year of destiny for them.”

Indeed, the Blue Devils have yet to lose in 2008, and for the first time in program history, they’ve reached the Class L finale.

For Salem’s current coach, Michael Jolicouer, it’s truly a special honor to take the program to the next level.

“The first year we talked a lot about (Rhoades), and it was a pretty emotional season because (his death) happened so suddenly,” said Jolicouer, who taught with Rhoades at SHS. “At this point it’s kind of an unspoken thing, but we’ve certainly dedicated the success of the program and the season to him and his contributions.”

Even though the pieces were in place for the current run, and all signs pointed toward unprecedented success this year, Jolicouer said he’s remained cautiously optimistic throughout the season.

“Our (arrival) is really due to us being able to have those five returning starters on the team,” he said. “As juniors they were 12-2, so we had the talent but lacked the experience.”

Returning this season for the Blue Devils were No. 1 Michael Cohen, No. 2 Jeff Bunker, No. 3 Bobby Pike, No. 4 Joel Vastl and No. 5 Tim Briggs.

Though five of six starters were all but set in stone entering this season, Jolicouer said it was an unexpected source that put his team over the top.

“We had four or five guys that were very comfortable playing (No.) 5 or 6 (singles), but Chris Correia stepped in and has been absolutely phenomenal,” he said. “To be honest, I didn’t expect him to be this good, but he put a lot of hard work in in the offseason and has really solidified our lineup playing as our No. 6.”

Salem was scheduled to compete against upstart Londonderry, the No. 6 seed, which knocked off third-seeded Exeter and secondseeded West to reach the title contest, on Wednesday, May 28.

And Jolicouer knows the Lancers would love nothing more than to complete their fairy-tale story with a win over the state’s lone undefeated power.

“I still get nervous every time we take the court, and believe me, I’ll be just as nervous going into that last one,” he said. “But I’ve been very encouraged by our play, especially in the semifinals. We had some close matches, but overall the guys are really stepping up.”

Against Central, Cohen won, 8-6; Bunker and Pike each took 9-8 tiebreakers, 7-4 and 7-3, respectively; Vastl earned an 8-2 victory; Briggs edged his opponent, 8-6; and Correia triumphed in his match, 8-3.

In doubles, Bunker and Vastl fell to Central’s top doubles unit, 9-7; Briggs and Jordan Faulconer won, 8-3; and Correia and Brian Peltz earned the final victory of the day, 8-4.

Salem’s foes know it, but boys tennis team must continue to show it

Salem Editor — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:30:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Michael Jolicoeur didn’t blink.

When asked if revenge was on his Salem boys tennis team’s mind when it locked up with Central this season, the answer was a resounding “yes.”

In 2007, Salem entered the same contest with one loss and fell to the Little Green.

“Last year, they came into our house and beat us, and I felt like we were better tennis players, but they really outworked us and outhustled us,” said Jolicoeur. “We were kind of cruising along, and I definitely felt that put our guys in kind of a bad mind frame going into the playoffs.”

This season, the Blue Devils entered the Monday, May 12 contest undefeated and in control of the No. 1 seed. They left in the same position. Salem earned its 12th win, 6-3, while Central fell to 9-4.

“We knew coming in this was going to be a tough match. Central was a three-loss team, but all three of their losses were to really good opponents,” said Jolicoeur. “I felt like this would be a big, big win for our guys, especially this late in the season. I think pulling this one out, the guys are really going to be flying high.”

Though No. 1 singles player Michael Cohen was edged, 8-6, and No. 5 Tim Briggs fell, 8- 2, Jeff Bunker, Bobby Pike and Chris Correia, the Blue Devils’ No. 2, 3 and 6, respectively, each earned 8-2 triumphs.

But the decisive victory may have come in the No. 4 singles match.

There, Joel Vastl trailed 7-3 to Central’s Rob Lucas. The Salem senior notched six unanswered games and won the match, 9-7.

“That’s a huge win,” said Jolicoeur. “If (Vastl) loses that match we go in needing two out of three doubles, and now all we need is one, so that takes a lot of pressure off our doubles team.”

After Cohen and Pike fell in their doubles contest, 8-4, Bunker and Vastl won, 8-3. Jordan Faulconer and Tim Briggs squeaked by in the No. 3 doubles contest, 9-7.

“(Salem) is the best team in the state. They’re tremendous,” said Central coach Mark Telge. “They’re clearly the favorite to win it all this year.”

That would be a first for Salem, which has never made it past the semifinals.

“We have guys top to bottom that can win at their positions, and I feel confident every match going in because I think we’re deeper than any other team in the state,” said Jolicoeur. “We knew, coming into this year, returning five of our six, that the playoffs were a realistic goal, and then we definitely wanted to have our (postseason) matches at home, and at this point, we certainly like our chances.”

Salem, which beat 8-4 Pinkerton on Tuesday, May 13, 7-2, is scheduled to close the season at 7-4 Bishop Guertin, which is still fighting for its playoff life.

Salem girls tennis team must continue to pound lesser foes, surprise elite team or two

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:06:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

To be competitive this season, Curt Killion knew his Salem girls tennis squad had to win at the bottom of the ladder and then sneak another victory somewhere in the middle sets.

“Basically we needed to win our (No.) 5 and 6 matches and also win our (No.) 2 and 3 doubles and then hope for another win from our (No.) 3 or 4 (singles),” said Killion.

So far, the script has played out nearly exactly as rehearsed.

The Lady Blue Devils are 4- 2 this season, and three of their victories – against Timberlane, Merrimack and Alvirne – came via 5-4 decisions.

Both a blessing and a curse, Killion said there is little clear separation between his No. 1 player and his No. 9. So while Salem’s deserved No. 1 and No. 2 players, Angela Rullo and Danaka Blakslee, respectively, struggle against the top players from other teams, its rotating No. 5 and 6 slots, manned by Caitlin Peters, Fay Long, Breanna Edelstein, Christie Hutchings and Andrea Vinci, take the victories.

Peters, for instance, is 4-0 this season. Nicole Antonelli, at No. 3, and Julianna Blaisdell, at No. 4, have produced mixed results thus far, but they have provided what Killon considers the deciding victory in three contests.

The same applies to doubles matches. The Lady Blue Devils’ top team of Rullo and Vinci has fallen to some of the best tandems in the state, while the No. 2 and 3 teams have found regular success. In fact, the second unit of Blakslee and Antonelli is undefeated in six matches this season.

Peters anchors the No. 3 team, and Killion said he is still working on finding her a regular partner, though Long may be taking the decision out of her coach’s hands; she and Peters are 3-0 together.

Still, while the bottom of the ladder is having great success, Killion admitted it has been a challenge keeping those at the top motivated.

“They’re definitely getting a little discouraged, but I just have to keep reminding them to look at the bigger picture and go out there and try to have fun with it,” he said. “It’s definitely wearing on them a little, though.”

In addition to Salem’s three one-point decisions, it also played in two contests that weren’t close – a 7-2 loss at Manchester West and a 7-2 victory against Manchester Memorial.

Because his team is likely to fall to the Class L elite and beat up on cellar dwellers, it’s the tight match-ups Killion said Salem must win for the playoffs to become a reality.

A .500 record is realistic, but it’s likely an 8-6 record is needed to reach the post season, said Killion. That’s why dropping a recent 5-4 decision to Nashua South hurts.

“The way I look at it, we’re a point or two away from being 5-1, but at the same time we’re only a few points away from being 1-5,” said Killion. “We were 2-12 last year, so I’m happy to be competitive again right now, but we’re playing what I think are the top four teams in the state this year, so we really need to win those close matches.

“That one match (against South), could very well end up making the difference.”

See you next year – ‘Rebuilding’ Salem High reaches state semifinals

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 May 2007 17:29:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

Mike Jolicoeur said throughout this season he believes his Salem boys tennis team is a year away from being a true contender in Class L.

Boy, what a way to spend the year getting there.

Despite dropping an 8-1 decision to No. 2 Manchester West in the state tournament semifinals on Saturday, May 26, the third-seeded Blue Devils completed one of its best seasons in program history, finishing at 13-3 with a third straight appearance in the league’s final four round.

Players and coaches agreed that it was frustrating to once again make it to the verge of the league final and once again walk away with a loss. But in a season with expectations of rebuilding, the Blue Devils constructed a team that not only challenged the state’s best but will remain mostly intact next spring.

Salem loses just one player in its varsity lineup; senior No. 6 singles player Eric Ho, who couldn’t make the West match-up, was replaced by Jordan Faulconer, the team’s only winner on the day.

“It’s not a good feeling to get so close each year. But like I said, the guys know what kind of team we have, and I think there’s an anticipation even for next year,” said Jolicoeur, who shares coaching duties with Gary Duranko.

Of course, the loss to rival West will sting, as the Blue Knights closed the match out before it could even reach doubles. Faulconer held on to beat C.J. Beck, 8-3, and No. 4 singles player Joe Vastl looked in good position to do the same before West’s Dylan Fischer erased a 5-0 deficit and forced the game into a tiebreaker, where he nipped Vastl 7-4.

But Vastl and teammates Jeff Bunker at No. 1, Mike Cohen at No. 2, Bobby Pike at No. 3 and Tim Briggs at No. 5 all plan to build upon the experience they gained this spring.

Bunker and Cohen jumped from three spots lower in the order last season, and handled the switch nearly flawlessly. Cohen was perfect in singles throughout the regular season before dropping two matches in the playoffs.

“I think the guys are pretty psyched about who’s returning,” said Jolicoeur. “Give them a day for this one. We’ll be on the court Tuesday, hitting it around.”

Salem fails to reach postseason for first time since ’93

Salem Editor — Wed, 16 May 2007 18:35:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

If it were up to him, Curt Killion’s team would have a better record. If he had his way, his squad would spend practices talking strategy for the postseason instead of thinking about next year.

But after losing four of his top six players, Killion doesn’t have those luxuries.

With their final match on Wednesday, May 16, the head coach of Salem High’s girls tennis team finds himself looking not at a 14-year streak of making the playoffs but at the future.

“I was hoping to do a little better, hoping we’d upset a couple matches and sneak into the playoffs,” said Killion. “We hit a part of the schedule where we faced some second-tier teams, and I thought we could take some wins, but we lost close ones. Things became more apparent, and now we’re looking at next year.”

Facing Class L contender Central, the Blue Devils were shut out, 9-0, on Monday, May 14. The Little Green dominated a young Salem team trying to find its way through inexperience.

In singles, returning senior Courtney Viehl was defeated, 8-0, in the No. 1 singles set. No. 2 player Iris Wilbur-Kamien was also held scoreless; Andrea Vinci lost, 8-3; Angela Rullo fell, 8-3, in the No. 4 singles set; Julianna Blaisdell lost, 8-0; and Nicole Antonelli dropped an 8-6 decision.

The doubles duo of Viehl and Vinci lost, 8-0; Wilbur-Kamien and Fay Long lost, 8-1; and Blaisdell and Antonelli fell, 8-4.

Matches decided by doubles sets have stung the Blue Devils this season, including losses to Alvirne, Timblerlane and Pinkerton.

“When we were at Pinkerton and lost, that was the toughest one this year,” said Viehl. “It came down to doubles, and we only won one where we had to win two to win. It’s just frustrating not to win those close matches because they make a big difference in how you end the season.”

Though 2007 marks the first time Salem won’t be in the postseason since 1993, Killion said the struggles came as no surprise.

With a large group of sophomores, including Rullo and Blaisdell, the Blue Devils mentor said he decided to identify this season as an anomaly.

“Some teams in Class L have continuously found themselves in the bottom,” said Killion. “And maybe that’s because they’re coming out there expecting to lose. I don’t want them to get used to losing. This is not something they should expect to do again.”

Net gain – Salem, despite loss of experience, rises to challenge

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 May 2007 17:22:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

What was uncertainty has become excitement. What were modest expectations have grown into sizable goals. And what was a relatively inexperienced Salem boys tennis team hoping to “win some,” said No. 1 singles player Jeff Bunker, is one that is winning – a lot.

In fact, Salem leads Class L in wins.

For a team that wasn’t expected to compare to those of years past, Salem has a chance to build toward something those teams could never attain.

At 9-1 entering a match at Winnacunnet on Wednesday, May 9, the Blue Devils were in prime position to capture home-court advantage for at least the first round of the state tournament, a position that could propel them into the semifinals, where they’ve lost the past two years to Concord.

It won’t come easy, though. Starting with Pinkerton Academy on Friday, May 11, Salem faces a tough stretch to close the regular season. They’ll also play a home date with Manchester Central on May 14 and a match at Bishop Guertin of Nashua two days later.

At the moment, Pinkerton and Central are both challenging Salem for a top-four seed in the playoffs.

Guertin, which played Pinkerton tough in a 5-4 loss on April 30, is simply fighting to get in as the eighth and final seed.

Win these matches and Salem could be the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. Lose and they could be looking at a quarterfinal match-up with anyone from a solid Goffstown team to old foe Manchester West.

It’s a nerve-wracking position, especially for a team that features three first-year varsity players in its top six. But it’s also one the Blue Devils are embracing.

“They’re learning how to win,” said Salem co-coach Mike Jolicoeur, who, with coach Gary Duranko, has led the Blue Devils to four wins by 5-4 or 6-3 scores this season. “They’ve been a lot more nerve-racking this year.

“And it’s been tough because of all the craziness at Salem (which included threats of violence against teachers in a note),” he continued. “We had two or three matches where we didn’t have a full lineup. So I feel now we’re kind of starting to come together, and we’re feeling confident about our starting lineup every time we go out there.”

One of those short-handed contests was its only loss, a 9-0 drubbing at the hands of West; both its No. 2 player, Mike Cohen, and No. 4, Joel Vastl, sat. Cohen and No. 3 player Bobby Pike also didn’t play in a 5-4 win over Manchester Memorial.

Thanks to a lineup that’s strong 1 through 6, though, Salem has both endured and thrived.

Junior Jeff Bunker has smoothly transitioned from No. 4 singles last year to No. 1 this year, while Cohen hasn’t lost in singles or at No. 1 doubles with teammate Pike, who is 7-1 in singles. Vastl, who didn’t see any varsity time last year, has gone 7-2 at No. 4, while Tim Briggs and Eric Ho, the only senior in the top six, have stepped up nicely in their first varsity seasons with 5-4 and 6-2 records at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.

However, as Bunker pointed out, “there are a lot of people who lost their top kids” but are still doing well, Concord and West included. And like them, the Class L championship is the goal.

Notes

In Salem’s 7-2 win over Londonderry on Monday, May 7, Cohen, at 8-1; Pike, at 8-4; Vastl, at 8-0; Briggs, at 9-8 (7-5); and Ho, at 8-4, posted wins at singles.

Cohen and Pike, at 8-1, and Bunker and Vastl, at 9-7, notched doubles wins.

Youth movement – Families’ focus shifts to children in multiple athletic endeavors

Salem Editor — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:20:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

It’s a Sunday afternoon in late January, and Colleen and Bob Nagri plan to eventually settle in for the night to catch the New England Patriots’ playoff showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.

Their Dodge Durango – its back windshield plastered with eight metallic silhouettes of different athletes, representing the sports their children, 10-year-old Alex and 9-year-old Kyle, play – sits idle for the moment. Soon, they’ll drive Alex to her soccer practice, and hopefully make it back in time for kickoff.

Tomorrow, she’ll have a lacrosse clinic to attend, while Colleen plays in her Monday night women’s soccer league. In the days to follow, Kyle will run from a travel hockey practice to one for basketball – recreation or travel, take your pick. Alex will also train with her basketball team, and if Bob hadn’t blown out the same knee twice years earlier, he’d have a men’s league basketball game to look forward to. Then it’s games the following weekend.

But it’s not too bad. It’s winter – “kind of that offseason,” Colleen said – and the typically busy week comes after what Bob called a “light weekend” of four practices and three games.

Of course, it didn’t compare to a weekend earlier in the season when Kyle and Alex, between two jamboree soccer tournaments, two basketball games and two hockey games, combined for 10 contests – on a Saturday.

“Half our friends think we’re nuts,” Bob said, referring to the Salem family’s demanding sports schedule, mapped out event-by-event in an oversized day planner. “And the other half is doing the same things.”

With the growth of options and demand in youth sports, the Nagris’ story isn’t uncommon.

At a national and local level, single-sport youth athletes have become more uncommon; neighborhood and regional organizations, better organized than ever before, are accommodating more and more kids; the attraction of higher levels of play, such as those offered by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), has intensified.

From the popularity of events such as the Little League World Series to the growing sums of money families pay to play, there’s no denying youth sports have become a different beast than 15, 10 or even five years ago.

How some of these families juggle it all can be an art in itself. Why they do it can be as abstract.

Youth sports, parents and coaches assert, keep kids active, teach them life lessons of succeeding and failing, and, for a select few, provide an avenue to bigger and better opportunities. For some, it’s fueled by competitive drive; for others, it’s a way to meet and be with friends.

“But other than that, I don’t know why,” said John Riehl, president of Goffstown Junior Baseball and father of 14-year-old Matt and 10-year-old Timmy, who play sports year-round. “I think we’re all crazy.”

‘The Life’

For Marianne and Todd Philbrick, the introduction to youth sports – or “The Life” as Marianne called it – started when now 13-year-old daughter Ellie signed up for cheerleading at 7. It began with five practices a week in August, three to four during the fall season, before her schedule ballooned with intensive lessons at the Bedford Dance Center.

Then Ben, now 12, started playing sports. He tried baseball and currently plays for the AAU’s Black Flies. He also enjoyed hockey and competes for a travel team out of the Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association. Along the way, he picked up football, lacrosse and basketball.

Next, 9-year-old Rachel found soccer and gets her kicks playing for the Bedford-based New Hampshire Classics, in addition to taking dance lessons.

“It was more like it kind of crept in our day-to-day living,” said Marianne, a Bedford resident. “In the beginning you stay through every practice. You just stay and watch. And then you can’t because child No. 2 has their own stuff, and you have to bring them there. And then two years later, child No. 3 comes along. And before you know it, they’re all in elementary school with a hugely busy schedule.”

The Philbricks are not alone. Desiree Casey, also of Bedford, said between her three children – 12-year-old Ryan, 10-year-old Andrew and 6-year-old Carly – the family covers six sports in football, hockey, lacrosse, softball, swimming and tennis. She didn’t include skiing and snowboarding.

Scott Sprague of Hooksett has two boys – Austin, 11, and Devon, 9. Each plays travel soccer, travel hockey and baseball.

“I think Easter Sunday was the first day in over a year that neither of my kids got out of their PJs,” Sprague said. “It hasn’t happened much, but they got up and Devon goes, ‘What do I have for sports today, Dad?’ I go, ‘You have nothing.’ And he says, ‘What? I don’t have any games or anything? Oh man.’”

As a result, families like the Philbricks, Caseys and Spragues have helped spark some interesting phenomena.

One has been pure growth at the local level. Organizations such as the Hopkinton Youth Sports Association feature roughly 300 kids in baseball, 200 in soccer and 200 more in basketball, all kindergartners to eighth-graders, said president Darren Winslow.

Though there aren’t exact numbers on how many of those kids play multiple sports, that’s 700 registered athletes from a town of 1,544 households, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

Salem girls softball is another example. Based in what’s always been considered a “softball town,” said president Ann Gubellini, the organization shifted from Little League to Babe Ruth last summer, added several travel teams and saw registration swell from 360 to 440 girls.

The attraction of playing for those travel teams in Amateur Softball Association (ASA) tournaments was a huge draw, Gubellini said, as the opportunities in the sport, from facilities to available leagues, have grown.

“In this area,” she said, “it’s just spun out of control.”

That’s at the local level. Mix in travel teams, and schedules become more hectic.

The juggle

When sports overlap, which parents agree happens most often in October between fall and winter sports and March or April between winter and spring, conflicts arise and the multi-sport athletes are left with decisions.

The general rule is, Marianne Philbrick said, when two events conflict on the schedule, her family and others she knows tend to stay loyal to the sport concluding at the time. When an early April hockey playoff series interferes with a baseball tournament, hockey comes first.

Some coaches are more flexible than others.

“In lacrosse, they (the coaches) said, ‘If you’re trying out, we expect that lacrosse is your primary sport,’” said Desiree Casey of Bedford. “Andrew made the decision that he wanted to try out and that he didn’t want to play baseball. And that’s OK with him. At least the expectations were up front.”

As children get older and the competition become more serious, different choices have to be made – which sports stay and which go.

Marianne Philbrick said her son, Ben, has experienced that, giving up lacrosse and basketball when his AAU baseball commitments became too much at age 10.

Bob and Colleen Nagri of Salem said the same thing about their daughter, Alex, who stopped participating in gymnastics when that clogged her growing schedule.

These decisions are nothing new. Children needing to choose at an earlier age, however, is a recent trend.

“And I’m kind of torn on that, and I think a lot of other coaches are, too,” said Bill Gahara, president of the Hooksett Youth Athletic Association. “But it seems once they become 12 or 13 years old, kids are starting to specialize and are starting to play that one sport year-round.”

That, in turn, has led to even more changes.

The next step

At 12, Jay Yennaco, a Red Sox third-round draft pick in 1995, played 15 games of Little League baseball and a handful more for his town’s all-star team in 1988. He had at his disposal private instructors – perhaps a parent who used to pitch or a high school coach who worked with talented youngsters.

Baseball was the Windham native’s primary sport, and these were his options less than 20 years ago.

“Today, if I was 12 years old, I can play a 70-game AAU schedule. Today, private instruction is run by college coaches, past professional players or at minimum, college players. It’s really an expertise,” said Yennaco, who offers private lessons mainly to high school and college-age players but has had parents of youth players approach him.

“I’ve worked with 7-, 8-year-olds,” he continued. “But I think there are parents out there who would have a 4-year-old come, although I necessarily wouldn’t encourage it.”

Yet, that is the reality for families whose children have chosen to take their athletic abilities to the next level.

With individualized lessons on the rise and more chances to play on a regional or national stage, many families willingly devote the extra time and money, and do so far more than they used to.

Ed Skovron, president of the New England AAU office, said the organization was home to 15,000 regional members when he took over roughly six years ago.

Now, with the addition of more sports like lacrosse and diving, New England AAU features roughly 25,000 members, Skovron said.

The biggest growth among the more established sports has come in baseball, up to 4,000 from 2,500 four years ago, he said.

“That’s what’s happened – kids that have that type of ability, the parents want to see the maximum ability that they have,” said Skovron, who’s been involved with AAU since 1990.

Today, Skovron agreed, families are more concerned with realizing their young athlete’s potential.

“Absolutely,” he said. “All you need to do (to understand why) is go down to Disney World when
they run the (AAU national championships) down there, and you’ll see 375 Division I coaches watching kids there play basketball.”

The draw of earning a college scholarship is strong for many talented athletes, but not every AAU athlete is after that.

“I think you have to play AAU basketball if you want to make the school team or to continue to play,” said Chrissy Sylvain, a Weare native who started the Weare Lady Generals 14-and-under AAU girls basketball team this year. “Even if you want to play (junior varsity), you have to play AAU. If you don’t play, you’re really behind everyone else.”

That’s where many coaches and parents feel youth sports have moved. And it’s not cheap.

Marianne Philbrick, for example, said her family pays $1,500 for Ben to play AAU baseball with the Black Flies.Yennaco, who also serves as the Nashua Pride’s pitching coach, said private instruction for baseball players, depending on the instructor, can run from $30 to $45 for a 30-minute lesson and $55 to $75 for an hour.

Rob Day, goalie coach for the Hooksett-based New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs and co-founder of Puckstoppers goaltending, said private instruction in his field can range from $80 to $100 per hour and, in some cases, up to $300 per hour.

He also estimates there are eight to 10 legitimate goaltending instructors in New Hampshire alone.

“The day of the three-sport guy is pretty much gone,” said Day, who has 139 athletes in his database and added 65 in the last two years. He said he’s worked with some as young as 8. “The bar has been raised quite a bit. There are more opportunities for kids, but everybody’s always looking for that little edge.”

The sacrifice

When Bob Nagri drives through his neighborhood, he sees driveway basketball hoops and hockey nets. Much like in his home, he knows there are buckets of balls and sticks in neighboring garages and basements.

Rarely does he see kids playing with them.

“When I was a kid, we’d rush home, get our homework done and get out there playing as a group until the lights went out,” Nagri said. “Now, they do their homework, and they have a half an hour before they have to be at practice.”

It’s just another subtle change in the landscape of youth sports. The costs, which several families estimated were $5,000 to $15,000 annually, stand out.

The miles do, too. Scott Sprague and his wife, Lisa, whose two sons play travel hockey, bought a sedan a year and a half ago for better gas mileage on tournament trips to Canada. The car, new then, now has 36,000 miles on it.

Steve and Kelly Kirkpatrick, Bedford residents with four boys who play year-round sports, have two minivans to make the travel easier.

But maybe it’s the small changes – fewer family dinners, lazy Saturday afternoons that are no more, extinction of family vacations taken on a whim – that stand out most.

“Family life in general has changed,” said Steve Kirkpatrick. “It’s more accepted that parents take their kids one direction or another a lot of different nights, and they give up family dinners and stuff like that.”

In the end, these are changes they embrace.

“My life is around my kids,” said Colleen Nagri. “So if they want to do it, I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen.”