Tennis squad wins three of last four

Boys tennis

By: Jim Green
   The Lawrence High School boys tennis team finished its up-and-down season on the upswing.
   The Cardinals, who dropped to 8-7 May 15 with a 4-1 loss to Hopewell Valley, rebounded to win three of four Colonial Valley Conference matches, running their record to 11-8 overall and 10-5 in the CVC.
   Lawrence followed a 5-0 pounding of lowly Trenton with a 3-2 win over cross-town rival Notre Dame on May 20 and a 5-0 victory over Nottingham on May 23. The Cardinals finished the year with a 4-1 home loss May 29 to Colonial Division champion West Windsor-Plainsboro South.
   Lawrence coach Pat Tarrant shuffled his lineup down the stretch, giving lesser-used players an opportunity to gain experience. With four starters graduating, Tarrant was hoping to get some of his younger players used to competing at the varsity level.
   "We were playing some different guys," Tarrant said. "And we were playing some guys who hadn’t played, since they were seniors."
   Tarrant also gave one of his most reliable veteran players an opportunity to advance in the lineup for two matches. Tarrant moved senior Josh Margolis, who played second singles all season, to first singles against Notre Dame and Nottingham. Margolis won both matches, topping the Fighting Irish’s Brett Zaba 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 and defeating the Northstars’ Dan Sosinski 6-0, 6-2.
   "He (Margolis) has had a great career for us," Tarrant said. "He’s a great role model as far as how to carry yourself on the court. We’re really going to miss him."
   Against Notre Dame, junior Raj Kapoor advanced from third singles to second and suffered a hard-fought, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) loss to Ken Ellsworth. Senior Vishal Suvagiya, who played first doubles most of the year, picked up singles wins against both Notre Dame and Nottingham. He beat the Fighting Irish’s Ross Elliott 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 at third singles and topped the Northstars’ Rachward Miller 6-1, 6-2 at second singles.
   Freshman Travis McGoughan picked up valuable singles experience against Nottingham, posting a 6-1, 6-2 win at third singles over Phil Vetter. Senior Brian Thaler received an opportunity to play at first doubles in both matches, picking up two wins.
   "Brian Thaler did a nice job for us in a couple of different spots," Tarrant said. "We’re going to miss him."
   McGoughan dropped a tough match at second doubles against Notre Dame, as he and teammate Arpan Bhattacharya, a senior, fell to Nick Grupp and Jake Hoover 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2.
   Against the first-place Pirates, Tarrant returned to his normal lineup in an attempt to pull the season-ending upset. Junior Aaron Naar reclaimed his post at first singles and dropped a 7-5, 6-2 decision to Russell Nitzberg. Margolis moved back to second singles and lost to Greg Kelley 6-2, 6-3. Kapoor ended his junior season on a positive note, defeating the Pirates’ Dennis Tuan 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (18-16) in a marathon battle.
   "He (Kapoor) lost a lot of close, tough matches," Tarrant said. "For him to win that last match with a tiebreak like that has to be a great way for him to finish the season, psychologically."
   Senior Chad Ham and Suvagiya reunited at first doubles and lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 to Shintaro Mori and Hain-Lee Hsuah. Thaler and Bhattacharya teamed at second doubles and dropped a 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (14-12) decision to Brett Butler and John Lim.
   "That match (against WW-P South) was very competitive," Tarrant said.
   With Margolis, Ham, Suvagiya, Thaler and Bhattacharya all graduating, several spots will open up in the Lawrence lineup. Players such as McGoughan, freshman John Stracquantanio and members of the Lawrence junior varsity team will have a chance to fill those holes.
   "This is a unique year for us," Tarrant said. "We’ve had a six- or seven-year run where we’ve been very competitive and haven’t had many positions open up. This year, we’re losing a lot to graduation.
   "I tried to impress on the guys that, if you work hard over the offseason, you’ll get a chance to play next year."