Girls’ Tennis Team Swings For Title

By Andy Hutchison

Head Coach Maureen Maher and Assistant Coach Bess Hutchison of the Newtown High School girls’ tennis team — thanks to the rain-soaked preseason — haven’t had a whole lot of time to see their players go head to head to earn positioning within the lineup. Based on what they know about their competitors (both those on the team and those outside of Newtown), the coaches are optimistic for a successful 2011 season.

Newtown lost four players from the lineup from last year — three to graduation and one via a player’s family moving. The combination of experienced returnees and impressive newcomers leaves the coaches expecting the Hawks to at least be in contention for a South-West Conference title this season.

Newtown’s senior captains are Meghan Loose and Sara Benson. Other key players back in the mix are seniors Ayesha Dholakia, Ale Fuentes, and Caitlin O’Mahoney, and sophomore Lauren Frazzetta.

“These girls are pretty strong. The freshmen that came in are really good,” Maher said.

Weston, Joel Barlow of Redding, and Pomperaug of Southbury stand to provide the toughest competition, Maher anticipates.

Newtown finished the regular season in a three-way tie for second in the conference and ended up third in the SWC tourney. Barlow, Weston, and Pomperaug were the only three teams to knock off the Nighthawks a year ago; Newtown fell 4-3 to Pomperaug and also pulled out a 4-3 win over Barlow in a second matchup with the Falcons.

The Hawks were scheduled to begin the season at Barlow on Thursday (after The Bee went to press). Talk about jumping into the fire, match number two, on Friday, April 8, is at Pomperaug High. Newtown is scheduled to have its first home match, at the new school courts, on Saturday, April 9, when Fairfield Ludlowe of the FCIAC visits. Newtown doesn’t face Weston until May, a tough month that winds down with rematches against Barlow and Pomperaug.