BONACKERS 6, TUCKERS 1
Christy's question: Where are the squeaks and grunts?
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The Mattituck second doubles team of Caty Austin, left, and Ashley Finger, right, brought the Tuckers their only win of the day against East Hampton/Bridgehampton.
What the Mattituck Tuckers coach didn't hear enough of from his players were squeaking sneakers and grunts accompanying shots, both signs of intensity. He likened the relative quiet to playing in a church.
"In a sport like this, you have to play with controlled anger," Christy said. "You have to motivate yourself to really get upset when you don't get to a ball, where you made a mistake, and you're now ready to correct it."
The Mattituck second doubles team of Caty Austin, left, and Ashley Finger, right, brought the Tuckers their only win of the day against East Hampton/Bridgehampton.
Far from shrinking from the challenge, the Tuckers have embraced it as an opportunity to improve.
"I think we're just all excited to get better," said Jackie Maloney, who played her first career match at first singles, losing to fellow junior Molly Nolan, 6-0, 6-0.
Maloney knew she was in for a tough match. "I was excited, though," she said. "I think I played well. I think I gave her a good game. ... I had a lot of fun today."
The only three-setter of the day went Mattituck's way. Caty Austin and Ashley Finger secured a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 triumph over Erika Barco and Emma Shilowich in second doubles.
Everything else, though, belonged to the Bonackers. They swept the singles matches: Amy Naula defeated Erika Bundrick, 6-3, 6-0. Bev Keyes beat Sue Kelly, 6-0, 6-1. Kelly Naula, who is Amy's sister, ran off a 6-4, 6-3 win over Kelly Tuthill.
The Bonackers' first doubles team of Joneen Murphy and Hyatt Tortorella came out on top, 6-2, 7-5, over Callie Homan and Laura Stakey. In third doubles, Alex Fulham and Erica Silich brought the Bonackers a 6-4, 6-1 result against Ashley Goeller and Jennie Smith.
So, just how good are the Bonackers?
"This is a very good team," Christy said of the Bonackers, who were coming off a 7-0 non-league defeat of the Bishop McGann-Mercy Monarchs two days earlier. "I'm going to say they're certainly one of the top 10 teams in Suffolk County for sure, regardless of size. They're a good team because they hit the ball well, but they're [also] very consistent."
Bonackers coach Jim Nicoletti said: "We're not Westhampton ... but pretty good. We're certainly one of the teams that has a shot at giving them a run for their money."
The Bonackers were without one of their best players on Friday. Casey Nicoletti, the coach's daughter who plays second singles, did not play after suffering a recurrence of tennis elbow at practice the day before. "She wanted to play today, but there was no way she was playing today," said Jim Nicoletti.
Christy said he could feel good that his team has the ability to compete with a team of the Bonackers' caliber, but he wants to see the intensity level boosted a bit.
"They have to play with a little more inspiration," he said. "I think that comes with confidence, and getting a little more emotionally involved with what's happening out there.
"When an opponent hits a good shot, give them credit. But when points are won or lost because of something you're doing, or not doing, then you have to get a little angry, a little pumped up and say, 'I'm going to correct this.' If you do that, you're going to be successful."
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