By Sapna Pathak
Staff Writer

Neighborhood News/Bruce Preston Ashlynne de Pinquertaine returns a shot during an epic match against her Pinkerton opponent on Monday, May 1. “That was a huge match. She loses that one and we’re going into doubles down, 4-2,” said first-year head coach Dick Valliere. With the help of de Pinquertaine’s 9-7 win, the Grizzlies took the overall match.

DERRY – It began as an ordinary high school tennis match.

Before it ended in a 5-4 Goffstown decision, however, a battle between two players turned into an extraordinary event.

With all but one singles match complete between GHS and Pinkerton Academy on Monday, May 1, girls from both teams gathered to focus on the lone contest.

Fourth-seeded Ashlynne de Pinquertaine of Goffstown and Pinkerton’s Julie Muser played for an hour and a half before de Pinquertaine took the match, 9-7.

“That’s the coolest part of tennis,” said Grizzlies head coach Dick Valliere. “You never know what match will prove to be the most exciting of the whole (team) match. Ashlynne’s match turned out as today’s most exciting, and we didn’t know it until we got here.”

Both teams entered the doubles round tied, 3-3, with singles victories going to the de Pinquertaine sisters – Ashlynne and Brittany – and freshman Megan Cowell.

Cowell won her match, 8-4, keeping her undefeated streak alive at four consecutive singles wins.

Laurie Politz, Alise Greenfield and Shelby Raymond each fell to their opponents.

The combinations of Politz-Greenfield and Cowell-Kira Murphy swung the match in the Grizzlies’ favor; both pairs walked away with doubles wins.

Valliere said he’d like to work on strengthening the team’s doubles skills. Learning positioning, playing the net and proper shot selection are the areas of Valliere’s focus.

Valliere, in his first year as mentor, said he expected this match would’ve been easier to win. Ashlynne de Pinquertaine’s win, he added, was truly critical.

“That was a huge match,” said Valliere. “She loses that one and we’re going into doubles down, 4-2, and have a lot more pressure to win all our doubles matches. She won what ended up as the most crucial match to help us win the entire match.”

Goffstown, which improved to 6-3 this season, hosts a strong 7-1 Manchester West group on Thursday, May 4, then travels to 1-7 Merrimack on Friday, May 5.