Bronx Science Beats Stuyvesant To Win Second Straight PSAL 2A Championship

The Bronx Science Wolverines entered this season as the champions of the PSAL’s 2A Division in New York City, and from the very beginning of the year, defending that title was the main priority. 

“Before our first match of the season, our captain Henry [Bardey] said to all of us, ‘Let’s go into this with confidence, we’re the favorites, and we’re going to win this’,” said Kevin Diao. “That has been on our mind the entire time.”

Bronx Science made good on Bardey’s message and won the 2A title for a second consecutive season, defeating Stuyvesant 4-1 at Queens College Tennis Center. 

With the matches being played in a 10-game pro-set rather than best two-out-of-three sets, Ishaan Bhagat got his team on the board first with a 10-6 victory at second singles. 

“I just tried to make as many balls as I could, not focus too much on the score and just played my game,” Bhagat said. “When you play a regular set to six, whether you win or lose, you can cool off a bit in between sets, but going straight to 1-, you know your opponent can always come back, so I just had to stay focused.”

Diao would bolster his team’s lead and bring them within one win of the city title as he won 10-8 at first singles, securing a key victory to put Bronx Science ahead 2-0. 

“I just wanted to change things up and stay in the rally at all times, and play as tough as possible,” said Diao. 

A year ago, Diao played second singles for Bronx Science, but moved up to the first position this season, and rose to the occasion throughout the season, including in the final. 

“The level was definitely higher, and the players I competed against were a lot better,” he said. “But it was a really good feeling leading my team in that top spot, and it feels awesome to contribute to another PSAL title.”

Stuyvesant’s Nicholas Oh tried to rally his team as he won 10-8 at third singles, cutting the deficit to 1-2 with two courts remaining. 

And on the first doubles court, both pairings, Bardey & Kenya Takaku of Bronx Science and Jed Sloan & Siroos Pasdar of Stuyvesant, left it all out on the court. Each had chances to close the match out, but it was eventually Bardey & Takaku who were able to do so, winning 14-12 in thrilling fashion to seal the second straight NYC title for the Wolverines. 

To round out the scoring, Leif Emery & Shaunak Thamke of Bronx Science won 10-7, completing the 4-1 victory.