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BANGOR – Expectations for Bangor High girls tennis team this spring were modest, given the Rams finished 4-8 and out of the Class A playoff picture a year ago.
Have a winning record, don’t get shut out in any match and qualify for postseason play all were primary goals for the youthful squad, which includes eight sophomores among its top 10 players.
But as the regular season ended coach Jason Pangburn’s club not only achieved all those goals – but did so in undefeated fashion.
Bangor (12-0) is likely to enter postseason play ranked second in Eastern Maine Class A, trailing only two-time defending state champion Lewiston.
“I’m pretty surprised,” said Pangburn. “We really didn’t expect this at all at the start of the season. We have a really young group, but they’ve played well and worked really hard.”
Postseason play in high school team tennis gets under way Tuesday with regional preliminary-round matches. Quarterfinals follow Thursday, with semifinals June 7 and Eastern Maine championship matches in Classes A, B and C set for June 11 at Colby College in Waterville.
The state finals are scheduled for June 14 at Bates College in Lewiston.
Bangor’s unblemished regular-season record featured several close matches against the likes of Brewer, Hampden Academy and Messalonskee of Oakland.
“It kind of shows the type of kids they are,” said Pangburn. “They’re young, but they play other sports and are very competitive and very coachable.”
Bangor has been led by sophomore singles players Annie McKay, Emma Coffey and Maci Monson. McKay moved up to first singles after playing No. 3 last spring, while Coffey saw limited singles duty in 2007 and Monson played on the junior varsity squad.
Captain Erin Johnson, the team’s lone senior, is playing first doubles for the third straight season this spring with Eliza Woodcook, the only junior on the squad.
Sophomores Adrianna Capuano and Michaela Whitney are playing second doubles after seeing junior varsity duty a year ago. Three other sophomores, Mary Grace Schley, Grace Leclair and Emily Chick, provide quality depth.
“The girls are pretty even in ability,” said Pangburn. They really push each other in practice.”
The girls tennis program has grown steadily during Pangburn’s five-year tenure as head coach, which included trips to the regional quarterfinals in both 2004 and 2005.
“My first year we had 13 players,” he said. “This year we have 25, which is the biggest number we’ve had since I’ve been coaching here.”
And while there has been improvement, the team did get a dose of reality Wednesday when it faced Lewiston in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championship match.
Lewiston defeated Bangor 5-0, limiting the Rams to 11 total games in five best-of-three-sets matches.
“They were a little disappointed they lost and that the scores weren’t that close, but they had a super attitude about it,” said Pangburn. “I was really pleased with their effort, and I think they understood they were playing against girls who have played a lot more tennis and have a lot more experience.”
Pangburn anticipates a tough draw for his team throughout the Eastern A tournament, but hopes the Rams can continue to develop – and perhaps get another crack at the Blue Devils.
“If it works out that way, I’d love to meet Lewiston again,” Pangburn said. “It would be a great opportunity.”
eclark@bangordailynews.net
990-8045
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