Bielecki, Mount get better of Chartier, P/SRA
WOONSOCKET — After every winner, Mount St. Charles junior Teddy Bielecki’s decibel level increased as he closed in on a crucial victory in Tuesday’s crucial Division I contest against Ponaganset/St. Raphael co-op.
Bielecki said he’s emotive not just for himself, but also for the other Mount singles players playing on adjacent courts.
The only problem Tuesday was there was no one else playing around him, because the junior and Ethan Clegg were engaged in trench warfare with every energy-sapping rally. Bielecki didn’t know it at the time, but he was in position to secure a home victory and he did just that when he beat Clegg, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 2 singles to secure a 5-2 victory.
“I love tennis, that’s what it comes down to,” Bielecki said of his outward emotion after he each point. “That was a grind of a match and I just focused on my pacing and just taking it a point at a time and that’s what got it done today. I hit a lot of deep balls and mixed it up with some spin and tried to show him variation.
“I had no idea we won, that’s crazy. I just like getting excited during matches. I feel like we’re that kind of a team this year. We lost a lot of seniors, but we’re scrappy and we’re fighters.”
Mount St. Charles (2-1 Division I) finished 6-6 in Division I last season after going to two straight Division II title matches. The Mounties haven’t been to a state final since 1995, but victories over the Chieftains and Smithfield to start the season have Mount believing this team has a chance to compete with the likes of Hendricken, La Salle, Barrington and Moses Brown.
“I think we’re a pretty solid team and we’re doing a good job of building chemistry and working hard in practice one day at a time,” senior captain and No. 2 double player Neil Bogner said after a 7-5, 7-5 victory. “As a doubles team, we made some mistakes and went for some winners we probably shouldn’t have, but we’ll clean that up. We got the win because we kept the ball in and made them make a mistake.”
For St. Raphael senior standout Travis Chartier, this season is a whole new experience. The two-time Division III soccer champ was accustomed to playing No. 1 singles for a Saints team that routinely forfeited the No. 3 doubles match. Despite that, the Saints still made it to the Division III title match last season, but suffered a 4-2 defeat to Chariho.
Now, Chartier is an elite No. 3 singles player for a team loaded with singles talent. The RICbound Chartier has won both of his matches and he’s improved as a player playing behind Bryant-bound Josh Steere and Clegg. Chartier posted a 6-3, 6-2 victory over junior Nick Zinno.
“This is a new experience and I don’t mind being No. 3 because it’s better competition,” said Chartier, who has led the Chieftains to an 0-2 record. “I don’t care where I play, as long as it’s better competition. We’re competing every match with a full team and the wins will come. My goal is to not drop a set this season and it starts with getting better with improving my game in general.”
The co-op does provide unique challenges for both program because they are on different sides of the state. The whole team gets together three times a week, while the four Saints practice by themselves at Slater Park twice a week. That isn’t much of a problem for Chartier, but it is an issue for Saints sophomore Joey Rekrut, who plays No. 1 doubles with Ponaganset’s Lucas Estrela.
Rekrut and Estrela dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to Mount’s Matt Lahar and Dylan Girouard.
“I’ve worked hard in the offseason to get better to help this team,” Rekrut said. “The practice situation is a little bit more difficult because the communication isn’t always there, but we always make do and try to win.”
Steere, who played Lincoln state finalist Cam DiChiara Wednesday afternoon, had no trouble with talented Mount freshman Reyhan Kamal. The Mountie hung tough on his serve, but Steere’s blistering ground strokes proved to be the difference in a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
“We’re two totally different backgrounds, that’s for sure,”
Steere said of the co-op. “It’s great because we have a full team and I hate forfeiting spots. It’s different because we’re not practicing together every day and the doubles can’t be together. We learned after that Hendricken match that we’re right there with anyone. We can compete in singles and we just need to keep working on doubles.”
Steere and Chartier provided the Chieftains with their only two points, but the Mounties dominated the three doubles matches, while they found a way to split the singles matches. Mount No. 4 singles player Sam Elkerton came through with a straight-sets win to put the hosts on the precipice of victory.
With only two matches left on the court, Bielecki found a way to overcome Clegg on a windy afternoon on Logee Street. The senior, who was the No. 1 singles player the last two seasons, secured a 6-4, 6-4 win.
“I like to get myself fired up and having the team hear it is a good motivator,” said Bielecki, a Cumberland native. “I like to be load and I like to be emotive. It’s not something I do on purpose, it just happens. It took years to control my emotions and it was a lot of work with my coach. I’m able to contain my emotions and still play with fire.”
The Chieftains aren’t off to the start they hoped after a 4-3 loss to Hendricken and Tuesday’s defeat, but Chartier believes the team will be challenging to play at Slater Park in May.
“The goal is to win a state title,” Chartier said. “I think it’s pretty achievable if we keep working hard in practice.”