Another trip to final for Dutch Tennis

GUILDERLAND — Another year, another trip to the finals.

In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Guilderland boys’ tennis team, the Dutchmen showed they are a power in Section II by reaching their fifth consecutive final.

“It’s been a great year,” said Guilderland Coach Curtis Snyder. “We snuck up on some people. Last year, we graduated our number one, two, and three singles. Some people were thinking that this was a re-building season. But I’m proud of this team. This is the fifth year we’ll be at the sectional finals.”

“Tight back-and-forth”

The Dutchmen played Niskayuna for the Class AA sectional title on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s semifinal match was in doubt up to the final match. Shenendehowa came to Guilderland looking to avenge a 6-3 regular season loss and almost ended the Dutchmen’s season.

The match came down to the third set of eighth-grader Austin Malerba and senior Karl Barber’s number-two doubles match.

The duo was last to take the court and cruised through the first set, 6-0. They lost the second set, 6-3, but came back to win the third set, 6-4.

Guilderland took the lead early as they won the top three singles matches and the number-one doubles match.

Senior Joey Milstein won his match, 6-1, 6-3; Dylan Scott won the second singles match, 6-0, 7-5; and Sam Dordick won the number-three singles match 7-6, 6-3.

The doubles team of Joel Malerba and Sam Kosinski won their match in straight sets as well, 6-4, 6-3.

But Alex Bush and Mookie Farina lost their singles matches and the Justin Rucci and Chris Levy lost their doubles match to pull Shen within one match, 4-3.

And after Ben Ellenbogen dropped a tough three-set match, the spot in the finals came down to the last match.

And then it came down to the final set, before Malerba and Barber pulled out the victory.

“We had beaten them earlier in the year,” Snyder said. “Shen is always a top program. Their JV is always good.”

“Our depth is good as well,” Milstein said.

“It was tight back-and-forth,” Snyder said. “They won a couple of singles matches that we didn’t win last time and we won a couple of doubles matches that we didn’t win the last time.”

Co-champs

Not only did the Dutchmen advance to the finals this season, they also were co-champions of the Suburban Council. They shared the title with Niskayuna and Bethlehem.

“The first goal was to win the Suburban Council championship,” Snyder said. “But there is still another goal.”

The season didn’t end on Wednesday for a couple of Dutchmen.

Milstein and Bush formed a doubles team and earned a spot in the state tournament in Flushing Meadows in Queens, the site of the U.S. Open.

“Everything I’ve worked on for the last six years of high school tennis was to get to states,” Milstein said. “In the Suburban Council, we were seeded second and in the sectionals we were seeded second so we were projected to go. We had some tough matches.

“Through playing tennis, I’ll being going with some kids I’m real close with,” Milstein added. “Alex and I are playing real well. At states, it’ll be fun.”

Milstein will also play tennis in college. He will attend the State University of New York College at Oneonta in the fall.

Part of the team’s success the team is because of the work the upperclassmen have put in with the younger players.

“Joey has been in the finals for all four years,” Snyder said. “He and the other older guys have stepped up and helped the younger guys. They have gotten better and better.”

“It’s different this year,” Milstein said. “That’s what I wanted to do this year. Tennis is not thought of as a team sport. But I wanted to make it a team sport.”

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