Spring Sports Preview: LHS Boys and Girls Tennis

A favorite line among coaches at all levels is that what’s done is done. Never do coaches want to talk about the past, whether good or bad. No, with most coaches it’s all about the future, as if mentioning last year will somehow magically jinx their team.

That’s not quite the case with the boys’ tennis team and coach Chris Pugliese. They have no problem bringing up the successes of the 2010 season, when the Minutemen went undefeated until losing in the semifinals of the MIAA Division 1 state tournament.

“Oh yeah, we talk about it,” Pugliese said earlier this week. “I’ve been here four years and that’s the farthest we’ve gone.”

While dwelling on the past can quickly turn into a negative, the Minutemen are instead embracing their accomplishments and hoping to build on them this year. They knocked off powerhouse in the North Division 1 final and hung tight with eventual state champion Wellesley in the state semis.

“They’re good,” Pugliese said, of his team’s expectations for the season. “We’ve got depth, so you know there are going to be those matches that are tough for us. But overall I’m pretty confident.… I think we can make another good run here.”

To do so, the Minutemen will have to overcome a bit of youth. Four new players will be joining returners Chris Pronchick, Dan Maffa and Preston Wu in the starting lineup. How quickly they overcome their youth could be the key to more success this year.

With the Lexington girls’ team, the opposite is true. The quicker they take advantage of the experience their returners wield will be key.

According to coach Bob O’Neill, all but one starter are returning varsity players this year. So long as Lexington can avoid the injury bug – the team already lost one player to an ankle ailment – it should be able to keep pace in the highly competitive Middlesex League.

Of course, we have to be healthy,” O’Neill said. “If someone gets hurt it can throw everything off.”

LEXINGTON BOYS TENNIS SEASON PREVIEW
Coach: Chris Pugliese (fourth season)
League: Middlesex League
Last Year: 23-1 (lost in the state tournament semifinals)
Returning Starters: Mark Pronchick, junior; Dan Maffa, sophomore; Preston Wu, senior.
Key to Success: Successfully integrating four new starters and quickly overcoming inexperience.
Match to Watch: Winchester is always tough, and the Minutemen will get an early crack at the Sachems. The teams will meet at LHS on April 11.
Coach’s Take: “We got a lot of new freshmen this year, something like eight new freshmen, some with talent. I’m still in the works of building a lineup through challenge matches, but there could be a good possibility that a lot of the freshmen could step into some sort of role," Pugliese said.

LEXINGTON GIRLS TENNIS SEASON PREVIEW
Coach: Bob O’Neill (ninth season)
League: Middlesex League
Last Year: 15-6 (lost to Andover in the quarterfinals of the North Division 1 tournament)
Returning Starters: Natalia Pronchick, Lucia Burger, Malou Bronberg, Sarah Macklis, Sophia Mayers.
Key to Success: Avoiding injuries.
Match to Watch: The Minutemen will look to enact some revenge over Andover. They will face off April 20 at Andover and May 26 at LHS in the regular-season finale.
Coach’s Take: “I think we’ll contend pretty highly. Winchester will be the team to beat and Belmont will be good, so there will be some teams out there that aren’t pushovers," O'Neill said.