PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Lynnfield’s Amanda Stelman clinched the match for the Pioneers after her singles win on Friday afternoon.
BY ANNE MARIE TOBIN
BEVERLY — Winning may be old hat for the Lynnfield girls tennis team. Yesterday at Beverly High School, however, it was a new game plan that did the trick, as in hat trick.
The Pioneers won their third straight Division 3 North championship and 13th sectional title in program history with a 3-2 win over Cape Ann League archrival Manchester-Essex. The win set up a rematch in the state semifinals Monday (TBD) with South champion Martha’s Vineyard, which shut out Ursuline Academy 5-0.
Thanks to a tweak in her game plan, senior captain Amanda Stelman clinched the match with a rock solid 6-2, 6-2 over Sophia Schatz win at third singles.
“I was a little nervous, but I decided I needed to be more patient and that if I focused on placing the ball as opposed to powering it, it would keep the points alive longer and eventually result in mistakes by my opponent,” Steman, a lefty, said. “I usually go for winners, but knew that I needed to keep my unforced errors down and the only way to do that was not take as many risks, and it paid off.”
Lynnfield’s strength all season has been at doubles, and yesterday was no different, with both teams winning easily to remain undefeated in dual matches.
Senior captain Olivia Skelley and first doubles partner junior Camie Foley secured the first point of the match in less than an hour with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Bridget Miller and August Kahle. Ten minutes later, the second doubles team of senior Hayley Timmons and junior Katie Nugent made it 2-0 with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Jessie Miller and Sally Pulver.
“We knew with Lynnfield’s strength in doubles that we would most likely be in a position where we would have to have all three singles to win the match,” Hornets’ coach Ken Rawson said. “We won the top two, but their third singles player played a very nice match, and that was the difference.”
With a 1-0 lead, Stelman jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second set and knew was serving not only for the match, but for a spot in the state semifinals on Monday. Leading 30-0, she shrugged off two double faults, sandwiched around an ace, for a match point, which she set up with a nifty sliced forehand that Schatz played into the net.
“It was very fitting that Amanda was the one who closed out the match for us today,” Lynnfield coach Craig Stone said. “She has had some real tough matches this season, but I told her that hang in there and keep working hard and stay positive because eventually, she would get that opportunity to come up with a big win when it counts, and she did.”
Juniors Katie Nevils and Sarah Mezini lost their first dual matches of the season.
Nevils lost a close one to Christina Bullock at second singles. She trailed 1-5 in the second set but rallied to tie the match at six all, then lost 8-6 in a tiebreaker. She dominated the second set, 6-1, but lost a third set super-tiebreaker, 5-10.
Mezini dropped her first singles match to Chanel Bullock, 6-2, 4-6, 4-6.
Stone is looking forward to having a shot at the Vineyarders, who defeated Lynnfield 3-2 in the state semifinals in 2015, Monday. Martha’s Vineyard is riding a 41-match win streak.
“I wouldn’t say we are out to avenge last year’s loss as much as we would like to turn the tables this year,” Stone said. “I like the way we match up with them in singles, we are strong in doubles, and we are going into the match on a very positive note, knowing that we possess the ability to win all five positions.”
