An almost perfect match in a still perfect season.
The men’s squash team dominated Williams, 8-1, Thursday night, winning 26 out of 30 games to move to 3-0 on the season. The victory over the Ephs, combined with the Bulldogs’ 9-0 victory over Franklin and Marshall last Saturday, gives the Elis a 17-1 record in their last two games.
“It was a really competitive match,” No. 6 Francis Johnson ’09 said. “But it was good that we got a win, an easy win, after a tough match last weekend [against Penn]. It’s good for some of the young guys to get some easier matches under their belts.”
Although the Elis had a considerable talent edge at all nine spots, the Ephs managed to pull out a close 3-2 victory at the No. 1 spot.
Jon Barry defeated a tired Aaron Fuchs ’10, 3-2, in a close upset.
“I stayed up all night writing a paper,” Fuchs said. “I didn’t get any sleep, so I was sluggish on the court. [The paper] was due Monday, so I thought I’d get it out of the way so I can play hard on the weekend.”
The only other player to lose a game was No. 2 Max Samuel ’08, who beat Ethan Buchsbaum, 9-1, 9-3, 6-9 and 9-6. From the No. 3 to the No. 9 spots, the Bulldogs went undefeated, posting a perfect 21-0 record.
The Elis seemed to improve as the night went on. From the No. 5 to the No. 9 spot, the Bulldogs lost a combined total of only four points in their clinching victories, an indication of the team’s focus.
“I think we played well,” head coach Dave Talbott said. “I felt like we took care of business. We’d like to win all nine, but it’s a tough Thursday night match.”
With papers and classes nearly out of the way, the Elis should be in good shape heading into the United States Squash Racquets Association tournament this weekend. Although the three-day competition will not count toward the Bulldogs’ record, it will serve as a good indication of the team’s talent.
The tournament will feature professional squash players and players from other Ivy League schools, including perennial powerhouses Harvard and Princeton.