Yale Athletics
In a frenzied weekend, the No. 4 Yale women’s squash team found success on Saturday against No. 14 George Washington but was beaten the following day by No. 5 Stanford in a fast-paced match.
Returning to Brady Squash Center after an 8–1 loss to powerhouse No. 2 Trinity last Wednesday, the Bulldogs improved their season record to 7–2 with a 9–0 win against the Colonials. Although they were favored to win, the Yalies’ clean sweep gave them confidence going into their Sunday match against Stanford, but success that day at the top of the roster was unable to carry the entire team to victory, and the Bulldogs fell 6–3.
“Overall we all played well, but we know what to take from the Stanford match and implement as we work towards the team championships in three weeks,” said Emily Sherwood ’19. “It was a tough loss, but with good training we know we can definitely have a better result.”
The women played cleanly against George Washington, winning seven of the nine matches in just three games. The other two were completed in a decisive four.
No. 1 Lucy Beecroft ’20 and No. 2 Celine Yeap ’19 played in stellar fashion against their Colonial counterparts, each winning her first game 11–3 before trouncing the opponent in the subsequent two games.
Further down the roster, Sherwood and Riya Mital ’21 stood out for their skillful play, with each player improving throughout her three games and both winning her final game 11–1. Sherwood’s excellent form demonstrated her resolve as she returned to the court following an injury that left her on the sidelines the previous week.
Despite their stunning victory on Saturday, the Elis were unable to maintain their momentum the following day against Stanford, which was one of the most anticipated matchups of the regular season. In front of a raucous home crowd, the Yalies suffered a disheartening 6–3 loss after several hard-fought matches, more than one of which stretched to five games.
Among the most exciting moments of the match was at the No. 1 spot, where Beecroft battled back after losing her first game 11–9. Beecroft followed that setback by fighting through long rallies to win the second and third games before dropping the fourth. The atmosphere on the court was intense for the start of the match game, but the eventual outcome quickly became evident with a dominant 11–1 win from Beecroft.
“I was really happy to pull that out,” Beecroft said. “That was one of my best matches this season and it’s given me a lot of confidence.”
Other notable wins came from No. 3 Helen Teegan ’21 and No. 4 Aishwarya Bhattacharya ’21, demonstrating the depth of the Yale team among its youngest members. No. 7 Mital nearly overcame losses in her first two games, but was ultimately beaten in game five by Stanford’s Lucy Rowe.
The Bulldogs have four matches left in the regular season, all of which are against Ivy League teams. Among the most dangerous competitors will be No. 1 Harvard, which remains the only higher-ranked team that Yale has left to face. The Elis will head to Cambridge on Feb. 15 to compete in the CSA Team Championships.
“We still have a really good chance of achieving a top three position this year,” captain Jen Davis ’18 said. “We just need to have faith in the hard work we’ve put in so far and trust ourselves to play well.”
The Elis will return to Brady Squash Center at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Alex Reedy | alex.reedy@yale.edu