Since the 2011 season when now Bates College sophomore Maisie Silverman was a young Brunswick High School girls tennis freshman, the Dragons have suffered few regular season Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference losses.
This season, Brunswick entered its biggest match of the regular season against Lewiston in a battle of unbeatens, looking to move to 11-0.
The Dragons fell to 10-1 and close out their regular season today against Mt. Blue. A win today over the Cougars sets up a rematch with Lewiston for the KVAC title on Thursday, and if the seeds hold come postseason time, the Dragons and Blue Devils might just face off again with a state title berth on the line.
“ It is always tough against Lewiston, and today we had two undefeated teams,” said Brunswick coach Rob Manter. “ This is such a great group of kids. It has been a lot of fun for me.”
Lewiston won three straight contests to close out the match after Brunswick’s No. 2 doubles team of Sabina Smith and Rae Bamberger downed the Lewiston duo of Corinne LaBerge and Sienna Melanson, 6-0, 6-1.
Lewiston’s top singles player Maddi Roy won the opening set against Brunswick’s Kira Wolpow, 6- 0, but Wolpow battled back in the second. Trailing 5-2 and facing a match point, Wolpow won three straight games and forced a tiebreaker on her serve. But, Roy held off Brunswick’s top singles player in the tiebreak, 7-4, for a 6-0, 7-6 (4) win.
“It is a lot of fun and we know what we are up against,” said longtime Lewiston coach Anita Murphy. “I told the girls not to sit back on their heels. Brunswick is very talented. It is fun, a lot of fun when it is unpredictable. There are no automatic points out there. Both teams have had that in the past. I want the girls not to depend on anyone else.”
“I told Kira to put herself into position to win and she did that,” said Manter.
Three sets
Katharine Kunhardt and Gillian Doehring gave Brunswick an edge at No. 1 doubles, taking the first set over Lewiston’s Maddie LeBlond and Chloe Morin, 7-5. But, the Blue Devils’ pair found their game from there, winning the final two sets, 6-2, 6-0, for a 2-1 Lewiston lead.
“ Our number one doubles haven’t really been tested, but today they were tested, which is good for everybody,” said Manter. “ They are having a great season.”
“We were playing pretty well,” said Kunhardt of the first-set win. “We are confident. We just need to stay with it next time and we will be good.”
“They had a lot of balls at net that we hit straight at them, and they got into our heads and we got flustered, allowing the momentum to shift,” said Doehring. “ Last year we beat them in KVAC, and they beat us in the regular season and in the Regional final it is always a battle.”
Lewiston clinched the Blue Devils victory moments later when Alanna Taylor defeated Cassie Ridge at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 6-1. It didn’t take long for the match to close out, with Brunswick’s Elizabeth Day shaking off a tough second set for a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles over Lewiston’s Lizzy Michaud.
“After the first I felt confident, and it was hot and she came back really hard,” said Day. “I got into it in the third set. We have had a great season, and we hope to face them again at KVACs. If we win against Mt. Blue, we will see them again.”
“For the past four years that I have been here it is always a big match with Lewiston. We know it can go either way every single time.”
For Manter, he likes the balance of his team, with many of his top eight players close.
“Kira is definitely number one and has really stepped up. From number two down it is pretty interchangeable,” said Manter. “We have had a great season, and I feel that we have a chance to continue things. We will see Lewiston again and it will be a tough match, as always.”
Lewiston 3,
Brunswick 2
At Lewiston
Maddi Roy (L) over Kira Wolpow, 6-
0, 7-6 (4).
Alanna Taylor (L) over Cassie Ridge,
6-3, 6-1.
Elizabeth Day (B) over Lizzy Michaud,
6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Maddie LeBlond and Chloe Morin (L)
over Katharine Kunhardt and Gillian
Doehring, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.
Sabina Smith and Rae Bamberger (B)
over Corinne LaBerge and Sienna
Melanson, 6-0, 6-1.
Records – Lewiston 12-0, Brunswick
10-1.
Up next for the Dragons – Today at
home against Mt. Blue, 3 p.m.
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