BEACON FALLS — The Woodland girls tennis team came into last season with some lofty expectations, but beset by injuries the Hawks fell short of the goal and were eliminated in the NVL quarterfinals for the second year in a row.
Days before the tournament, Woodland lost the services of No. 2 singles player Amanda Doughney to injury, and it marked a year of mishaps that ended the Hawks’ season at 11-4.
“We certainly were faced with some challenges last season,” said Woodland head coach Kate Gavigan, who is entering her fourth year at the helm with a 34-12 record. “We start brand new again. Every year you form the team around the talent you have and every year you face different challenges.”
Woodland graduated singles players Ally Mayne, who won the NVL individual championship, and Arianna Sherwood. The Hawks will also need to replace the doubles team of Alyssa Varesio and Angelina Padilla, who were almost unbeatable in the four years they played together.
“We did graduate some very talented players,” Gavigan said. “You often wonder if the newer girls can handle the pressure of taking over spots but they are always hungry to move up and meet the challenge.
“Having Ally finish out her career winning the NVL championship was obviously the highlight of our season. I’m counting on the girls who played major roles last year to step up into leadership roles this year.”
Doughney, a senior, will take over as the No. 1 singles player. Juniors Alanna Carasone and Mia Piccolo have been honing their skills for the past two years and will step into their new role as the No. 1 doubles team.
Senior Morgan Stockheimer will take up the mantle as the No. 2 singles player, giving Woodland a solid top of the lineup.
“Doughney is coming back from an injury and sometimes that can be tricky,” Gavigan said. “You never know how an injury will affect an athlete, but I’m hoping she will be in the clear and have a strong season for us.”
The Hawks have several other players vying for spots in the lineup with senior Carly Erickson and juniors Rachel Poulos and Kaitlyn Crosby having the most experience.
“We need to look forward and see the opportunity that is before us,” Gavigan said. “But at the same time we need to look back just a bit as to where we were last year and say, ‘We don’t want to be there again,’ and use that as our momentum.”
“Our goals going into this season is to compete well, relish the competition but still enjoy it,” Gavigan added. “These are kids and this is supposed to be a fun time in their life. There’s really no need to make this a stressful experience.”
Woodland is set to open the season Monday at home versus Wilby. The Hawks will be in Bristol next Thursday to face St. Paul and finish out the first week of the season at home next Friday against Wolcott.
