Cardinals excel near end

BOYS TENNIS

By: John E. Powers
   Pat Tarrant, the head coach of the Lawrence High School boys’ tennis team, has watched with pride as the Cardinals have matured in the season’s waning days.
   The Cardinals, who started the week with a 10-9 record, were scheduled to finish the season by completing a suspended match with Notre Dame Thursday. The Cardinals were up in the second set in all five matches when the contest was called last week.
   The Cardinals, 7-10 a year ago, beat Manalapan 3-2 May 11 in the Central Jersey Group IV tournament before losing to sectional finalist Hillsborough 4 ½ – ½. Hillsborough was beaten May 16 by West Windsor-Plainsboro South in the sectional final Tuesday.
   Senior Dustin Kong and senior Vik Gulati at first doubles got the win against Hillsborough. The Cardinals rebounded by beating Steinert 4-1. The Cardinals had lost to Steinert 3-2 back on April 10.
   The Cardinals lost to sectional champion South last Friday 5-0.
   "I thought we played better against them than the first time we saw them," Tarrant said. "They are outstanding every year."
   In the win over the Spartans, Junior Jamie Ciccone avenged a loss at second singles with a 6-4, 6-4 win.
   Senior Travis McCaughan won in three sets at third singles, and then Gulati and Kong and sophomore Mike Cohen and junior Roshan Bhagat finished the win with two tie-breaker wins.
   "We’ve had a good mixture of seniors and underclassmen," said Tarrant, adding that McCaughan is the team’s top point producer. "We’re playing well right now. Getting that win at Manalapan – they were 11-3. We have lost some really tough 3-2 matches, so it was good to have one go our way."
   Senior first singles player John Stracquantanio has reflected the attitude of his teammates through the last month of the season.
   "He has been hurt for the past month, but he has been hanging in there and plays his matches," Tarrant said. "The fact John has been playing hurt he helps the rest of the team. He’s really a good leader. He’s sacrificed himself. It’s no fun playing tennis when you have back trouble, but he’s doing a great job."
   The Cardinals got a glimpse of their future last Thursday as freshman third singles player Vince Ciccone rallied after dropping the first set to post a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Trenton’s Danny DeLeon.
   Cohen at first singles, junior Nate Bonville and Ciccone and Kong-Gulati and Brent Traina and freshman Tim Finnerty won in the 5-0 victory.
   Lawrence added one more win on Wednesday over Allentown to stand 10-9 and if the Cardinals can close out the victory in the completion of the match against the Irish, Lawrence will finish its season with an 11-9 record.
   Ciccone won first singles, 6-1, 6-1, as Lawrence shut out Allentown, 5-0.
   Cohen claimed second singles, 6-2, 6-0, while Parth Shah and Ajan Sivaramamoortui took second doubles, 6-2, 6-0.