Powerhouse Port Washington Tennis Team Heads To Championship

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — The juggernaut Port Washington girls tennis team is once again headed to the county finals after a 6-1 drubbing of Hewlett in the semi-finals, a team they lost to in the playoffs a year ago. The top-seeded Vikings will square off against Great Neck North on Friday afternoon in the championship match at Eisenhower Park.

Port Washington head coach Shane Helfner told Patch on Thursday the big semi-final win was redemption. The Port Washington girls — the 2017 county champions — last year went undefeated before losing in the semi-finals against Hewlett.

"That was a really devastating day," said Helfner, in his fifth year. "We were one of the stronger teams and they just had a really good day."

For the Vikings, who play in the county's most competitive Conference 1 division, beating the team that knocked them out made the win that much sweeter.

"A lot of the girls were really excited to play Hewlett again after how it went down last year in the playoffs," Helfner said, adding they learned last year anyone can win on any given day.

"I think the girls were more determined, more hungry, and had more fight than ever," he said.

Helfner, a former Manorhaven Elementary School teacher who now teaches band at Paul D. Schreiber High School, said his team's depth gives them an advantage over others. The team is talented from top to bottom and several younger players have stepped into the lineup and contributed right away.

"Half of our lineup is filled with young tournament players, which always helps," Helfner said. "Our top three singles all made it to the state tournament in Albany."

Perhaps even more impressively, they're filled with extremely young talent. Of the 15 girls on the team, six are seniors, four are freshmen, and one is in eighth grade. The three top singles players — Thea Rabman, Andrea Martinez de los Rios and Ellie Ross — are in the ninth, eighth and ninth grades, respectively.

"Our first singles player [Rabman] has actually been playing since seventh grade and this is her third year on the team," he said. "She actually won the county doubles championship as a seventh grader."

Helfner also highlighted the team's senior captains, Charlotte Forman and Casey Fanous. Forman plays first doubles and earned all-county honors. Fanous is a third doubles player.

In addition to their depth, Helfner praised the seniors for their leadership and help in cultivating the culture.

"Our more senior players continue to teach that culture to the younger players, it's just a real sense of family," he said

After the boys team won the Long Island championship in the spring, the Vikings have a chance to take home two championships in one calendar year.

Heading into their title match, Helfner said his team can certainly win it if they play up to their abilities. They've also played and defeated Great Neck North twice this season, so there shouldn't be too many surprises. The teams know each other well.

"I think the girls are felling pretty confident heading into Friday," he said.

If they win the county Championship Friday, the team will go on to play in the Long Island Championship against the Suffolk County winner. That game would likely happen early next week.

After that, three of the girls will play in the state tournament in Albany, where Rabman previously finished in fourth place as a seventh grader.