Green Wave boys' tennis carves it niche

The future is bright for New Milford High School boys' tennis.

Yet coach Joe Marshall and his Green Wave aren't quite ready to think future at this moment. They have plenty of unfinished business in coming weeks for the 2012 season.

The NMHS court crew, still young but growing inexperience with every match, carried a 7-5 record into a date Wednesday at New Fairfield.

Better yet, coach Marshall and his squad owned a 7-3 ledger in South-West Conference and, with a strong finish, could be headed for one of four SWC team playoff berths.

Several Green Wave singles and doubles players might also qualify for the league's post-season tournament.

And then there will be the CIAC state tournament, for which the Green Wave was just a win away from qualification this week, with matches still to be played vs. New Fairfield, Masuk and Shepaug Valley.

Coach Marshall's singles corps features a senior, Liam Lynch, at number three, and a junior, Dan Winter, at number four, and sophomores Nick Eherts and Jonathan Rajagopalan manning the top two spots.

"Nick has been refining a game based on quickness and consistency, adding a developing net game, savvy defensive shots, and tricky spins and approaches," said his coach.

"Right now, he is that guy nobody wants to play."

Jonathan Rajagopalan...and has competed well all year, losing close matches to some of the league's more experienced players, and winning a few easily," coach Marshall added.

Liam Lynch is also sorting out the items in his bag of tricks, working on shot selection and changes of pace to go with a basically all-court game." noted coach Marshall, and "and Dan Winter took a little while to find his A game, but has since been blowing out opponents... and can compete with anyone in the league."

The Green Wave doubles tandems have provided plenty of punch, too, led by Amar Kandhari and Luke Anderson, who are "coming back strong after a couple of heart-breaking losses to (apparently) qualify for the SWCs. They have proved they can compete against the best teams in the league, and are ready to get it done."

The Pat Wells/Andrew Pivitz pairing has proven nearly unbeatable and Noah Roulat, Adam Svinte and Nevan Swanson have lent their skills to numerous doubles victories.

An impressive stable of reserve players, those who have filled in when needed and otherwise excelled in junior varsity competition, simply adds to coach Marshall's confidence the NMHS net program is headed in the right direction, both this spring and for the future.

For more photos, check www.newmilfordspectrum.com.

Norm Cummings