Eagles girls tennis team hands Buechler her first coaching win in season opener; Woodstown girls soccer opens season with tie suspended by heat
MONDAY TENNIS
Pennsville 3, West Deptford 2
Clearview 4, GCIT 1
Ocean City 4, Kingsway 1
Middle Twp. 5, Cumberland 0
TUESDAY SOCCER
Woodstown 0, Vineland 0 (susp.)
Audubon 7, Glassboro 1
Hammonton 3, Timber Creek 0
Shawnee 3, Kingsway 1
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Brynn Buechler’s first win as a varsity tennis coach was full of emotion.
Senior Naomi Hess won a third-set super tiebreaker to clinch the match and the two other singles players both won extended sets as Pennsville’s girls edged West Deptford 3-2 Monday to give Buechler her first career coaching victory.
Buechler, a 2012 Pennsville grad, took the reins from longtime coach Dan Lamont this season after serving as his assistant since 2023. The Eagles won a team Group 1 title her senior year.
“It was definitely exciting,” said Buechler, an eighth-grade math teacher at Pennsville Middle School. “It was cool to play for Dan and then to coach with him, but I would say it was emotional. I think moreso I was super happy for Naomi getting that win, especially after a couple tough scrimmages she had, for staying composed.
“It was really cool to be on the home courts I played on to get a win. We told the girls it was exciting, but it’s just our first match, so we definitely have a lot of work to do.”
Hess defeated Harper Short at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 3-6, 10-1, to clinch the match. She won the first seven points of the tiebreaker. No. 1 singles Graillyn Weber (7-5) and her No. 3 singles freshman sister Jaisley Weber (7-6 (7-5)) posted seven-win sets on their way to victories.
“Naomi had a couple of really close scrimmages and she went to a tiebreaker against Millville and then she had a pretty tough match against Vineland,” Buechler said. “I definitely think those helped her and she kind of settled into that third-set tiebreaker and she won 10-1. It was nice to see her settle in and relax and kind of have that senior moment of not letting the pressure get to her.
“It was nice to see (Jaisley) pick up that win; she seemed like she kind of settled in. Being a freshman coming out and playing singles by yourself is a little nerve-wracking, but she seemed like she settled in a little bit in that second set.”
Somewhere Dan LaMont was smiling. The Salem County Sports Hall of Fame coach was actually playing tennis at the time of the match, but texted his protégé regularly for updates. Buechler now only needs about 299 more wins to catch him.
“He has so much advice to give,” she said. “It’s so strange to be on the court and not with him. I don’t really know Pennsville tennis without him. He was texting during the match, keeping updated and texted congratulations and all that.”
PENNSVILLE 3, WEST DEPTFORD 2
Graillyn Weber (P) def. Jody Wu, 6-4, 7-5
Naomi Hess (P) def. Harper Short, 6-3, 3-6, 10-1
Jaisley Weber (P) def. Anastasia Besar, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
Lily Avila-Najae Budiere (WD) def. Aubrey Hall-Juliana Thomas, 6-4, 6-2
Laura Monticolo-Rylee Hill (WD_ def. Yasary Clemente Brito-Marissa Dowell, 6-2, 6-1
Records: Pennsville 1-0, West Deptford 0-1.
Girls soccer
VINELAND – Woodstown opened its season Tuesday with a scoreless tie at Vineland in a game suspended at halftime by the heat but counted as a full game.
The Wolverines had a half-dozen shots and had momentum swinging in their direction when the game was called.
“I’ve had a game once suspended due to rain, but never heat,” Woodstown coach Kieran Keyser said. “It was a shame it ended early; it would have been a good game.”
It’s the first point the Wolverines have scored on opening day since 2019.
The Wolverines return to action Thursday with a home match against Pennsville.
