BRUNSWICK

The Bowdoin College women’s tennis team, ranked eighth in Division III entering Wednesday’s home matchup with New England Small College Athletic Conference rival Bates, has been on a roll. The Polar Bears were riding a four-game winning streak and held a 2-0 mark in the conference.

Bowdoin kept things rolling right along, cruising to a 9-0 win over the Bobcats inside Farley Field House to improve to 8-2 overall and 3-0 in the NESCAC. With road games this weekend at No. 4 Amherst (Saturday) and a pair on Sunday at Hamilton, including against 16thranked Skidmore, things are about to get a lot tougher for the Polar Bears.

Against Bates, Bowdoin rolled to three 8-1 wins for a quick 3-0 edge. Joulia Likhanskaia and Tiffany Cheng took the win for Bowdoin at No. 1 doubles, Tess Trinka and Kyra Silitch teamed up at No. 2 and the sweep was completed at No. 3 doubles by Pilar Giffenig and Emma Chow.

The Polar Bears quickly put the match away in singles. Samantha Stalder picked up a 6-0, 6-0 win over Kate Rosenthal at the No. 4 spot, while Likhanskaia led 6-1, 5-0 at No. 1 when Bates’ top singles player Elena Mandzhukova succumb to an injury.

“We are playing really well and starting off pretty strong in our matches,” said Likhanskaia, who improved to 7-2 on the year in singles and 4-1 partnering with Cheng. “We have been training hard and are just concentrating on playing our game. Going into singles up, we still had to focus.”

“They are playing as good as I can hope,” said Bowdoin coach Hobie Holbach. “We will certainly find some things out in the next couple of weeks. I am very happy with their play. Every match we play we are looking to get better. We are trying to get to NCAAs, and every chance we have to play somebody is a chance to get better.”

With the Bowdoin tennis courts unplayable, the Polar Bears have been forced inside the field house. Holbach feels his team has embraced the situation.

“You don’t have a lot of choice,” said the Bowdoin coach. “You can either respond that it is annoying and frustrating being inside, or that we’re playing and doing what we need to do. It is the same for both teams.”

“It is nice to have a place close to train in and not have to go far to practice, and Farley Field House is great for all Bowdoin athletes,” said Likhanskaia.

Homecoming

Bates coming to town meant that former Brunswick High School standout and four-time Maine Principals Association girls finalist Maisie Silverman had a chance to come home.

Her day was a rough one. She teamed with Kelsey Pearson at No. 2 doubles, and fell 6-2, 6-0 at No. 3 singles to Trinka, who improved to 8-2 in singles.

Despite the loss, the Bobcat freshman is having a solid rookie season at Bates. She is 7-4 this spring in singles, and has a 6-5 mark in doubles. Silverman said being a college athlete is much more difficult than her days dominating the high school tennis scene for four seasons.

“Playing doubles is a big change, and practices are really intense, along with the balancing of school work,” said Silverman. “Every match is a push. When you go out, you have to be mentally there and the team has to be there to push everybody.”

Against Trinka, Silverman held her opening service game, but dropped 12 of the next 13 games as Trinka made the shots when she needed them.

When told the Brunswick girls tennis season is slated to begin on April 16, Silverman said she will be thinking of her former teammates.

“College has been super fun and the team dynamic has been really great, but I miss the high school Brunswick team,” said Silverman. “ I miss Brunswick so much. I will be out there to watch a couple matches and just support Brunswick.”

Bowdoin swept the remaining singles matches. In the most competitive matchup, Cheng downed Elizabeth Erbafina, 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 2 spot. Silitch rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Emma Blakely, while Giffenig handled Olivia Voccola at the No. 5 position, 6-0, 6-1.

Bates, 4-8 and 1-3 in the NESCAC, visits Connecticut College on Saturday.