Caribou unseats Brunswick> Youth served by Vikings

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ORONO – Nicole King had trouble watching Wednesday as Ashley Soucie and Jessica Drost, Caribou High School’s No. 2 doubles team, played the deciding match in the Eastern Maine Class A team tennis championship at the University of Maine’s Bridge Tennis Complex.

A year earlier, King and Amelia Langley were in a smililar position and lost a heartbreaker. This time it was up to Drost and Soucie, a freshman and a sophomore, to determine the Vikings’ fate.

Caribou’s youthful duo overcame fatigue and the championship pressure, holding on for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Brunswick freshman twins Sara Nicita and Julie Nicita to help the No. 2 Vikings beat the top-seeded Dragons 3-2 and win their first regional tennis crown since 1995.

Coach John Habeeb’s 15-0 Caribou team takes on Western Maine winner Lewiston in Saturday’s 2 p.m. state championship match at UMaine.

In Wednesday’s other regional title action, No. 2 Ellsworth (15-0) claimed the Class B crown with a 4-1 victory over No. 1 Camden-Rockport and No. 2 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln (14-1) won the Class C title with a 3-2 win over No. 1 Sumner of East Sullivan.

Ellsworth meets Western Maine champ Fryeburg Academy in Saturday’s 11:30 a.m. state championship match, while Mattanawcook awaits WM titlist North Yarmouth Academy in a 9 a.m. match, both in Orono.

King, who posted a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Rachel Jones in their No. 3 singles match, agonized experiencing another title tiebreaker. This one lasted two hours.

“I didn’t want to watch. It was too tense,” King said. “It was easier last year because we were out there and could do something about it. This year, we were just sitting there praying. There was nothing we could do.”

It was Soucie and Drost who did the hard part. After splitting the first two sets, Habeeb gave a brief pep talk as his players took a breather.

They responded, winning the first two games of the final set en route to a 3-1 lead. Drost got the decisive point in the second set with a nifty crosscourt winner. The Nicita twins eventually fought back to tie the set 3-3, but Caribou made fewer unforced errors en route to the victory.

“I’m so proud of those two girls,” Habeeb said. “They lost the second set and it seemed like they were getting tired, but they really came together.”

Despite making mistakes of their own, Soucie and the Drost refused to wither.

“You really need to keep your head up, even if you hit a bad shot,” said Soucie, who was a reserve on last year’s runner-up squad. “There’s a lot of pressure, but I know that I have my team behind me, cheering me all the way. It’s just mental; confidence.”

Caribou’s No. 1 doubles unit of Caitlin Harrigan and Karen Kane also contributed to the cause, remaining undefeated with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Heather D’Alessio and Jen Baum.

Class B

Ellsworth has been a tennis team in transition this spring after losing its top three singles players and one of its doubles competitors off last year’s championship team.

That didn’t prevent the Eagles from capturing their third consecutive Class B title.

Katie Seavey, the lone senior on the team, didn’t appear in a match for Ellsworth in 1998. This year, she combined with freshman May Chan to form the Eagles’ victorious No. 1 doubles unit.

Seavey and Chan dispatched Becky Bradeen and Karinna Russo 6-0, 6-3 to help spark their team to the title.

Two other freshmen, Monica Gardner and Kate Beal, pulled out a 7-5, 7-5 win over Lindsey Fowles and Becca Neville and were instrumental in kover Lindsey Fowles and Becca Neville and were instrumental in keeping Ellsworth on top in Class B.

Juniors Ursula Gammelin, Amy McQuade and Bekah Metzler moved up from the doubles ranks to fill Ellsworth’s Nos. 1-2-3 singles spots this season. McQuade beat Christina Baumhardt 6-1, 6-1 and Metzler downed Alison Ridley 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, while Gammelin fell to Rebecca Stein 6-1, 6-3.

Class C

Mattanawcook Academy coach Terri Thornton proved she found the right talent mix as the Lynx edged the Tigers.

An early season injury to No. 1 singles player Jessica Burpee forced Candace Sabol up to the No. 3 singles spot. That proved beneficial, as former singles player Jenn Ouellette eventually wound up back in the doubles rotation.

Ouellette teamed up with Holly Harvey Wednesday on MA’s first doubles squad and they defeated Kirsten Austin and Becky Philio 6-4, 7-5. Ouellette is pleased how things worked out.

“We found there was a strong player in between and made a switch,” Ouellette said. “[Sabol] is faster and she could handle it a little bit better when she got into three sets.”

Brooke Turner, who had played doubles with Ouellette last year, joined Kristie Oldenburgh to beat Elisa Oberman and Alyssa Abbott 6-3, 6-1 in No. 2 doubles.

Erin Scott set the tone for the Lynx with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Briana Marshall in No. 3 singles.

Amy Mickel and Sarah Francis posted singles wins for Sumner.

Class A

No. 2 Caribou girls (15-0) 3, No. 1 Brunswick (14-1) 2

Singles: Nancy Shapiro (B) def. Amelia Langley, 6-0, 6-3; Cassidy Foley (B) def. Emily Jose 6-2, 6-0; Nicole King (C) def. Rachel Jones 6-0, 6-0; Doubles: Caitlin Harrigan-Karen Kane (C) def. Heather D’Alessio-Jen Baum 6-1, 6-2; Ashley Soucie-Jessica Drost (C) def. 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Class B

No. 2 Ellsworth girls (15-0) 4, No. 1 Camden-Rockport (14-1) 1

Singles: Rebecca Stein (C-R) def. Ursula Gammelin 6-1, 6-3; Amy McQuade (E) def. Christina Baumhardt 6-1, 6-1; Bekah Metzler (E) def. Alison Ridley 7-6 (7-3) 6-2; Doubles: May Chan-Katie Seavey (E) def. Becky Bradeen-Karinna Russo 6-0, 6-3; Monica Gardner-Kate Beal (E) def. Lindsey Fowles-Becca Neville 7-5, 7-5

Class C

No. 2 Mattanawcook Academy girls (14-1) 3, No. 1 Sumner (12-2) 2

Singles: Amy Mickel (S) def. Jessica Burpee 2-6, 6-4, 6-1; Erin Scott (MA) def. Briana Marshall 6-1, 6-1; Sarah Francis (S) def. Candace Sabol 6-4, 6-2; Doubles: Jenn Ouellette-Holly Harvey (MA) def. Kirsten Austin-Becky Philio 6-4, 7-5; Brooke Turner-Kristie Oldenburgh (MA) def. Elisa Oberman-Alyssa Abbott 6-3, 6-1