Woodland girls’ tennis staying hot

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Woodland sophomore Dayna Chucta won her doubles match with Liz Martin Tuesday to help the Hawks to a 7-0 win over Ansonia.
Woodland sophomore Dayna Chucta won her doubles match with Liz Martin Tuesday to help the Hawks to a 7-0 win over Ansonia.

ANSONIA – The Woodland girls’ tennis team continued its strong finish to the season with a 7-0 win over Ansonia Tuesday afternoon.

The victory marked the Hawks’ fifth straight victory, improved the team’s overall record to 13-1 and kept momentum going into the rapidly approaching postseason. The Ansonia match was the team’s second straight win to begin a four matches in a four-day stretch this week.

Woodland has three matches remaining in the regular season, which ends for the Hawks on May 18 at home against Seymour. Mike Magas, the Hawks’ head coach, said completing the season with wins is important.

“Right now, [these wins] are very important,” Magas said. “If you can end with momentum and keep winning, it helps tremendously.”

In the win over Ansonia on Tuesday, Steph Badale (8-1), Meg Wester (8-2), Lauren Tremeglio (8-1) and Brooke Dragon (8-0) were all singles winners.

Magas worked Badale and Wester during their matches. In Badale’s case, she lost the first game and fell behind 30-love in the second.

“We talked during the changeover,” Magas said. “I kind of encouraged Steph and she won game two and the rest of the games.”

In Wester’s case, Magas helped with her approach.

“Meg needed to be more aggressive,” he said. “They’re experienced players; when I mention something, they understand what I’m talking about.”

Badale and Wester went on to cruise to victories.

In doubles action, the Hawks No. 1-seed combo of Sam Angeloszek and Jill Pagoni remained undefeated on the season with an 8-0 match win. Magas has been impressed with his top duo.

“They know each other so well,” he said of his star doubles players.  “Their communication is great between each other.”

Avery Gartman and Angela Vallillo, as well as Liz Martin and Dayna Chucta, won doubles matches for Woodland on Tuesday. Magas said doubles matches are very important.

“Every match counts,” Magas said. “We played St. Paul earlier this year and lost three of our four singles matches, and the doubles teams knew they had to win all three of their matches. And they did.”

On Monday, the Hawks won, 5-2, at Watertown. Badale, Wester and Dragon won singles matches, while the doubles tandems of Angeloszek and Pagoni, and Nicole Nelson and Martin also recorded wins.

The Hawks wrap up the week with matches scheduled against Crosby at home on Wednesday, after printing, and at Wolcott Thursday. Despite the Hawks’ 13-1 record, no matches are a given.

“There’s a lot of parity in the league this year,” Magas said.