Cold Spring Harbor dominates for its first LI girls tennis title
Cold Spring Harbor's Nicolette Loeffler returns the volley in a match against Bayport-Blue Point's Emilia Romano in the first set of the Long Island HS girls tennis Small School finals, Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at Bay Shore. Credit: George A Faella
There was an unmistakable sort of determination about the members of the Cold Spring Harbor girls tennis team as they took their places for the start of the Long Island Small Schools championship on Tuesday. One could see it in their eyes and on their faces and hear it in their voices.
That determination then shone through when the matches started. Cold Spring Harbor was a team that would not be denied by previously unbeaten Bayport-Blue Point. The Seahawks posted four straight sets victories en route to a 5-0 victory at unseasonably warm Casamento Park for its first Long Island girls tennis title and a semifinal berth in the state tournament.
Cold Spring Harbor (10-6) will face Section V champion Honeoye Falls-Lima on the morning of Nov. 4 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for a spot in the state championship match. BBP finished 16-1.
“They realized what a big deal it was only after they lost [the Nassau final] last season,” Seahawks 17th-year coach Melissa McLees said. “It finally landed what it all meant and they came back wanting to show what we’re made of and have our voices be heard. . . . I didn’t see this focus last season. They really want it.”
“We really wanted to finally win one and this group is close and wanted to do it together,” senior Nicolette Loeffler said. Of being two wins away from a state crown, she added “we’ll come to play.”
At first singles, the lefthanded Loeffler broke Emilia Romano’s serve in the first game but soon was baited into a power contest against the hard-hitting Romano, who evened things at 2-2.
“She really hits it hard and so I adjusted and just focused on getting to every ball, waiting for her to make a mistake,” said Loeffler, who prevailed 6-2, 6-1 and is now 13-0 in team competition this season.
At first doubles, senior Hailey Schulsinger and sophomore Kami Cotek dropped three of the first four games to the Phantoms’ Ella Romano and Grace Blanchard before regrouping for a 6-4, 6-2 win.
“We’d never played them and we didn’t know their game and had to get a feel for things at first,” Schulsinger said. “Down 1-3 and they were playing well, so we got more aggressive at the net. On a cross court from the baseline, we could get a quick winner at the net [on the return].”
Junior Kati Cotek had a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles and freshman Brooke Winthrop pulled out a 6-3, 4-6, 10-4 victory at third singles. Senior Veronica Walkin and freshman Dylan Savarese captured second doubles, 6-4, 6-3.
“There’s just something different about our team this season . . . we’re playing with a passion to win,” Kati Cotek said. “I’ve been to the Open but I’ve never been on the courts there so we’re going to have a once-in-a-lifetime moment. But we’ll be ready for it.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
