Tag Archive: M. Squash

  1. M. SQUASH | Elis close in on title

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    The Yale men’s squash team moved to within one win of their second consecutive Ivy League title after defeating Brown on Saturday at the Brady Squash Center.

    The No. 2 Bulldogs (12–1, 5–0 Ivy) faced little resistance from the No. 12 Bears (6–5, 0–4), who have yet to defeat an Ivy League opponent. The Bulldogs will need to beat No. 6 Harvard next Saturday in order to stayed undefeated and defend their Ancient Eight title.

    “To win 9–0 is always a good feeling,” captain Naishadh Lalwani ’11 said. “Brown is an Ivy team, so all our other wins would count for nothing if we slipped up on Saturday.”

    Last year, the Elis defeated Brown 9–0. This year the story was similar and the Bulldogs looked ready to compete from the first match that went on court.

    One of the hardest fought games of the week took place at the No. 1 position between Lalwani and Brown’s Brad Thompson.

    Lalwani got off to a quick start in the first game and took a 3–0 lead. Thompson battled back and eventually tied the score at 8–8. With momentum on his side, the Thompson went up 8–10 and had two game points.

    But Lalwani, the hero of the match against Princeton last Saturday, did not let the pressure affect his play as he tied the score at 10–10. After a long rally, Thompson took the next point for another chance at the game win; however, the Bulldog captain denied that opportunity for the third time and won the next two points to take the first game, 13–11.

    In the next two games, Brown was unable to challenge the fitter Lalwani who varied his shots and moved his opponent around the court, winning 11–4 and 11–2.

    The matches at the No. 6 and No. 7 positions were the only ones to go for more than three games. Yale won both of those matches comfortably in four games.

    “We played our best and everyone was focused, well prepared, and got the job done,” John Roberts ’12 said. “[The match against Harvard] is our last conference game of the year. This week is going to be key. We have not thought of nationals, we are just thinking about this game.”

    “[The win] definitely sets us up well for Harvard next Saturday, as we will be going in with some momentum,” Lalwani added.

    The Bulldogs will next face No. 6 Harvard on Saturday. The contest is set to begin at 4 p.m. at the Crimson’s courts.

  2. SQUASH | Two wins from the title

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    Both the No. 2 men’s and No. 2 women’s squash teams are just two wins away from Ivy League titles.

    After coming off two much-needed victories against Princeton, the two teams will try to knock down one of those wins as they take on Brown this Saturday at the Brady Squash Center.

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    The men’s team (11–1, 4–0 Ivy) is trying to win its second consecutive conference championship and a victory against No. 12 Brown (6–3, 0–3) is critical.

    “After the high of beating Princeton last week, we need to stay focused and make sure we take care of business on Saturday,” captain Naishadh Lalwani ’11 said. “It is important for us to put on a good performance and set ourselves up for Harvard next week.”

    The men are coming off a big 5–4 victory against Ivy foe No. 3 Princeton, thanks to Lalwani’s win in the final match.

    Brown has struggled in conference play this year, losing to Harvard, Princeton and Penn. The Bears will be returning to the Brady Squash Center for the second time this year, having competed at the Yale Round Robin. The team did not play against the Elis at the event, but defeated St. Lawrence, 6–3, and Middlebury, 7–2. The two wins gave the Bears a four-game win streak.

    The Bulldogs were scheduled to play Middlebury on Tuesday, but the match was canceled due to inclement weather.

    “Our team has been performing very well,” Lalwani said. “The only blip has been Trinity, which we will hopefully get a chance to rectify before the season ends.”

    The undefeated women’s team (12–0, 4–0) will look to continue their streak and prepare for their biggest contest of the season against No. 1 Harvard next week.

    Brown (5–4,0–3) has struggled thus far in Ivy League play and has failed to even win one match in their contests against Princeton, Penn and Harvard.

    The Bear’s No. 1 player, Sarah Crosky, is currently ranked No. 63 in the nation. She will face No. 3 Greer, who defeated Crosky in straight games last year.

    For this weekend’s contest and next weekend’s battle against Harvard, the Bulldogs will also need continued strong play from the team’s freshmen. Gwendoline Tilghman ’14 and Camilla Tomlinson ’14 have not lost a match all season. Tomlinson has only dropped one game so far this season in the team’s match against No. 3 Trinity, but she then came back and won comfortably in four games.

    Both teams begin play on Saturday against the Bears at 12 p.m. at the Brady Squash Center.

  3. M. SQUASH | Yale overcomes Princeton in thriller

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    The Yale men’s squash team extended its win streak to four after defeating Princeton last weekend, but that victory did not come easy.

    The No. 2 Bulldogs (11–1, 4–0 Ivy) barely edged out a No. 3 Tiger team (6–1, 3–1), 5–4, continuing the Elis’ hope to defend their Ivy League title. The last time a school won the title without a loss was in the 2005-’06 season when Harvard, Princeton and Yale shared the top spot.

    “Now, all we need to do is beat Harvard and Brown to be undefeated in Ivy League play for two years,” captain Naishadh Lalwani ’11 said.

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    Last year, Yale defeated Princeton handily, 6–3. But this year, the story was different as Princeton boasted a team with more depth than last season.

    Yale got off to a quick 2–1 start against their Ivy League foes with strong wins from players such as Christopher Plimpton ’11 at the ninth spot. But the lead was short-lived as Yale struggled to find wins in the next three contests to go on court.

    “We went into the match knowing that it was going to be a hard match at every position,” Plimpton said. “Princeton has always been a tough competitor and we knew they would bring everything they had after we upset them last year to become Ivy Champions.”

    The next set of matches featured a showdown at the No. 2 position between Princeton’s David Letourneau, ranked No. 4, against Yale’s Kenneth Chan ’13, ranked No. 8.

    Chan got off to a slow start and Letourneau’s tactful play made it hard for Chan to make a comeback. The Eli ended up dropping the first game 8–11. Chan got off to a quick 3–0 start in the second game, but he was unable to maintain that margin later on when Letourneau varied the pace of play to his favor. Chan eventually lost 8–11.

    Chan would not give up without a fight. He took the third set 11–9, but got off to another slow start in the fourth game. Chan battled back to tie the game at six points a piece, but he then missed a serve that sent the momentum back to Letourneau, who would go on to take the match.

    “Princeton is always a tough team to play,” Chan said. “They have a very strong program and have been a powerhouse for the past few years.”

    The Tigers and the Bulldogs came into the final three contests tied at 3–3. The vocal Princeton crowd cheered on No. 1. Todd Harrity, on as he took on Yale’s Hywel Robinson ’13. Despite Robinson’s best efforts, he was unable to gain any ground against Harrity and lost in straight games, 0–3.

    John Roberts ‘12 battled at the No. 7 spot to tie up the overall match score, winning 3–0.

    “Knowing that we needed to win both the last two matches in order to win, it was difficult to focus solely on my match,” Roberts admitted. “But, I just kept saying to myself to do my part and I had full confidence that Naishadh was going to pull it out.”

    With the pressure of the match’s outcome on his shoulders, Lalwani took the court knowing he would have to win his match for a Yale victory.

    The Tigers’ Peter Sopher came out quickly and took the opening game 11–8, quieting an excited Yale crowd. But Lalwani would not let his team down and continued to battle in the second game, taking it 11–8.

    But Plimpton said that Lalwani’s superior fitness proved to be critical in the third and fourth games, both of which Lalwani took 11–5.

    “I tried not to think about it too much and focus on the squash,” Lalwani said. “It obviously got harder to do that as it went on but luckily I was able to hold it together and come through for the team.”

    The Bulldogs will take on No. 13 Middlebury on Tuesday at the Brady Squash Center. The match is slated to start at 6 p.m.

  4. SQUASH | Lalwani ’11 hopes for No. 1

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    With the exception of a disappointing loss to No. 1 Trinity, Yale’s No. 2 men’s squash team (10–1, 3–0 Ivy) has had a strong season so far. Squash player Naishadh Lalwani ’11 has been ranked as high as 261 in the world in April 2005. He was voted captain of the team after a strong junior year season, during which he helped the team finish second in the nation in the 2009–2010 season and win the Ivy League title. The News spoke with Lalwani about his expectations for this year’s team and his thoughts about his last season.

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    Q What does this season mean to you? What makes, or will make it, one of the most memorable years of your life?

    A Squash has been such a big part of my life for so long and this season is sort of a culmination of all the time and effort that has gone into it. This is my last chance to achieve something on the squash court and hopefully it will all work out. The team this year is definitely what has made this year so memorable. I’m extremely lucky to be on a team with such a great bunch of guys and to win an Ivy and National title with them would be the perfect way to end my collegiate squash career.

    Q How have you adjusted to the role of being the captain and being the person everyone looks to for answers?

    A Being captain has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve enjoyed the additional responsibility and I think it has helped my squash game as well. I don’t think I am the person who “everyone looks to for answers,” but one of the best parts about the job is the conversations I get to have with guys on the team. It is something I’ve truly enjoyed and is a great bonus that comes along with being captain.

    Q Do you have any long-term ambitions with squash?

    A I love the game, so I’m sure I will carry on playing as long as I can. Unfortunately, I think this is the end of my competitive squash career. Hopefully I will be part of some kind of squash league next year, but nothing will ever compare to college squash.

    Q What has changed most about you, as both an athlete and person, since you were a freshman?

    A As an athlete, I’ve definitely become much fitter and stronger these past four years. The pace of the game has increased and pretty much every college squash player is in great shape, so you don’t have much of a choice if you want to be able to beat these guys. We have great coaches, who have helped me get better technically, and I think they wouldn’t argue if I said I’m a completely different player today than I was when I walked in four years ago.

    It’s really hard to answer the “as a person” part – my coach would be able to give you a much better answer. In the context of squash, I’m tougher mentally and appreciate the mental side of the game more today than I did as a junior. It’s the same thing that happens to every athlete as you get older and more experienced.

    Q What do you find especially challenging about this season?

    A Being the second-ranked team in the country comes with a lot of pressure. Every team is gunning for us and the teams are so close this year that the margin for error is so small. But it is a challenge that everyone on the team is really enjoying. We take a lot of pride in being the No. 2 team in the country, and we are really hungry to change that to the No. 1 team by the end of the year.

    Last week was probably the most challenging week of our season. Anyone who plays squash knows how hard it is to play six matches in seven days. We came out of the week strong, with only a loss to Trinity and strong wins against Western Ontario (No. 8), Cornell (No. 5), F&M (No. 9) and Rochester (No. 4).

    Q How do you handle being both a student and athlete?

    A I don’t think it’s that hard to do. There’s enough time to do both easily. Obviously there are instances where you are traveling all weekend and then have a midterm on Monday. But you get used to it and it’s not that big of a deal.

    Q Who do you look to for support during matches?

    A After a big point I love to look at a teammate or a coach. Most guys on our team are very animated while watching matches and that energy often transfers to the guy on court. There is nothing better than playing a match with a bunch of your teammates aggressively cheering you on.

    Q How do you try to motivate other players when they are struggling, or how do you try to help players maintain their focus in matches?

    A Luckily, motivation is not a problem for this team. Everyone knows what is at stake this season and is pumped to try and achieve our goals for the year.

  5. M. SQUASH | Elis back in stride

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    The men’s squash team bounced back from a loss to No. 1 Trinity last Wednesday with three straight victories at the Yale Round Robin.

    The No. 2 (10–1, 3–0 Ivy) Bulldogs returned to the Brady Squash Center and easily defeated No. 9 Franklin and Marshall, 8–1, No. 4 Rochester, 7–2, and No. 15 Navy, 9–0.

    “Obviously, the loss to Trinity was tough to take, but as a team, it’s important to keep your eye on the prize and adopt the same attitude for each match,” John Roberts ’12 said.

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    The Bulldogs went back to work on Friday against Franklin and Marshall. It quickly became apparent that the Bulldogs were the dominant team in the match, winning 8–1.

    Their lone loss came when the Diplomats’ Gabriel De Melee upset Hywel Robinson ’13 at the No. 1 position. It was a long, grueling five-game battle with only a few points separating the two players throughout the match. Robinson eventually lost the thriller, 2–3.

    “Everyone is just trying to improve individually and after playing so many matches, everyone knows what they need to be working on,” captain Naishadh Lalwani ’11 said. “Our primary focus is to make sure that we keep improving so we can peak for the national championships in a months time.”

    On Saturday, the Elis next faced Rochester, a team that the Bulldogs have historically had close battles with in previous matches, according to Lalwani. Two years ago, the Elis beat the Yellowjackets 5–4, and defeated them again the following season 6–3. This time Yale went another step further, taking the match 7–2.

    The last match to finish once again involved Robinson. He dropped a closely contested battle against Rochester’s Benjamin Fischer. After wining the opening game, Robinson dropped three straight, losing the match 1–3. However, the Bulldogs only lost one more match and came away with the win.

    “It was a great way to bounce back from the defeat at Trinity and it was nice to end such a hard week with three solid wins,” Lalwani said. “ I thought that as a team, we played our best squash of the season against Rochester, which is a sign of things to come.”

    In the Bulldogs final match of the weekend, they took on an energetic Navy team. But the Midshipmen were unable to challenge the superior Yale squad and fell 9–0.

    Robinson rested for the match and will return to action against Princeton next week. In his place, Kenneth Chan ‘13 played at the No. 1 position and handily defeated his opponent in straight games, 3–0.

    Lalwani’s match best summarized the Yale attack against Navy. After winning the first two games with ease, the captain won the last game without dropping a single point.

    “We each reviewed our matches and fine tuned the little kinks in our games that accounted for us losing some crucial points against Trinity,” Chan said. “On top of that, we wanted to make a firm statement that the Yale squash team is a resilient team. The away loss to Trinity just fueled our ambitions for this season.”

    The Bulldogs are back in action this Saturday against No. 3 Princeton.

  6. M. SQUASH | Yale’s undefeated streak halted

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    The men’s squash team couldn’t stop Trinity from winning an unprecendented 230th consecutive game Wednesday, the longest streak in U.S. college sports history.

    The Bulldogs (7–1, 3–0 Ivy) no longer have an undefeated record after the bitterly fought 2–7 loss to No. 1 Trinity College (6–0).

    “The team is obviously disappointed,” captain Naishadh Lalwani ’11 said. “One of our goals was to try and go unbeaten, but Trinity is tough as their record shows. We played hard and unfortunately it wasn’t enough yesterday.”

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    The team dropped the top seven spots, but still posed a challenge to the dominant Trinity squad as many of the matches were pushed to four or five games.

    Lalwani said that Ryan Dowd ’12 played a strong match despite dropping two consecutive games after winning his first. He won a close fourth game to push it into a deciding fifth, but lost the last game 6–11.

    “We were trading games back and forth,” Dowd said of his match against the Bantam’s Antonio Gonzalez-Diaz. “There were a few rough calls. But, he played a great match. It just didn’t go my way this time.”

    Although the Bulldogs lost, Lalwani said the team can take away many positives, including strong play at the bottom of the ladder from John Roberts ’12 and Robert Berner ’12, who notched Yale’s only wins of the night.

    “Everyone played their hearts out,” Lalwani said. “Most of the guys stepped up and it was a couple of points here and there that just got away from us at crucial points in the match.”

    Dowd mentioned that the team needs to work on fitness before they play Trinity again.

    “We have to spend the next few weeks training,” Dowd said. “We lost a bit of our strength after the match starts. Hopefully, we can play them again in the finals of nationals. We are a smart team and know what to do for next time.”

    For now, the team must concentrate on the upcoming matches this weekend. The team will take on No. 9 Franklin and Marshall tonight. On the Saturday, the team will play No. 4 Rochester and No. 15 Navy.

    “The immediate goal now is to make sure we stay focused and take care of business this weekend and the next,” Lalwani said. “It has just been a really hard stretch for us. In the last eight days we will have played Western Ontario, Cornell, Trinity, Franklin and Marshall, Rochester, and Navy. It is a testament to our fitness levels and training that we are able to come out of a week like this alive.”

    The Bulldogs will host Franklin and Marshall, Rochester, and Navy this weekend at the Brady Squash Center.

  7. M. SQUASH | Squashing time

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    At the outset of this season, the men’s squash team had two goals: claiming the Ivy League championship and advancing to the final round of Nationals. The Bulldogs achieved the first goal with a 8–1 victory over Harvard this past Saturday. This weekend, they will attempt to accomplish the second, as Yale hosts the College Squash Association National Team championship tournament at the Brady Squash Center..

    “Our coach said we’ve accomplished a lot, but how we do in nationals will affect how we will look at the season as a whole,” Rusty Feldman ’10 said. “To win the Ivy Title and come up short would be disappointing. It’s been a nice ride, but we’re not done yet.”

    In all, 62 teams will be competing in eight divisions at the tournament this weekend. The Elis, who are currently ranked No. 2, will compete in the top “division A” bracket against the top-eight teams in the nation. The winner of the tournament will take home the Potter Cup, which has belonged to Trinity for the past 11 years.

    In their first-round match, the Elis will take on the No. 7 Big Green today at 12:30 p.m. Dartmouth finished the regular season with an 11–6 record, which included an 8–1 loss to the Bulldogs in New Haven Jan. 9.

    “We do feel good about Dartmouth, but by no means will we underestimate anyone,” Sharyar Aziz ’10 said.

    If the Bulldogs win their first-round match, they will face either Rochester or Cornell Saturday. Rochester, which is currently ranked just behind the Elis at No. 3, would seem to pose a stronger threat than No. 6 Cornell. In last year’s CSA team championship, the Bulldogs fell to the Yellowjackets after having defeated them in the regular season.

    “Last year, they flipped the script on us, and it left a bitter taste,” Feldman said. “We know they’re going to be gunning for us, and they’re a really strong team. It’s going to come down to who wants it more.”

    If the Elis emerge from their first two rounds victorious, they will make it to the third and final round matches on Sunday, which Feldman said Trinity will almost certainly be in. Trinity, which has entered each of the last 11 Potter’s Cup finals as the team to beat, celebrated its 221st consecutive match win when it defeated No. 4 Princeton Feb. 13.

    “Trinity is obviously the heavy favorite, and they have been for about a dozen years,” Feldman said.

    On their way to the finals, the No. 1 Trinity Bantams will first need to defeat No. 8 Western Ontario and either No. 4 Princeton or No. 5 Harvard.

    The Elis say they are hopeful for this weekend’s matches and the possibility of a Yale-Trinity final. But they are careful not to get too ahead of themselves.

    “It’s going to be a tough weekend,” Aziz said. “We’d love to play Trinity again and throw absolutely everything that we’ve got at them. But, first and foremost, we have to get there.”

    The Elis have the best record in recent memory this season, only dropping one match to Trinity Jan. 20.

    At No. 2, captain Todd Ruth ’10 is looking to close out his college squash career with a strong showing at Nationals. During the regular season, Ruth won a total of eight times in Yale’s 13 matches. And Kenny Chan ’13 is looking to improve his already successful rookie season at the No. 1 spot. Chan has won seven out of 11 matches this season.

    Rounding out the top nine for the Bulldogs this weekend are No. 3 Aaron Fuchs ’10, No. 4 Hywel Robinson ’13, No. 5 John Roberts ’12, No. 6 Naishadh Lalwani ’11, No. 7 Richard Dodd ’13, No. 8 Robbie Berner ’12 and No. 9 CJ Plimpton ’11.

    The Bulldogs’ first round match against Dartmouth begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Brady Squash Center.

  8. M. SQUASH | Elis claim Ivy League title

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    Mission accomplished.

    The men’s squash team defeated Harvard 8–1 Saturday at the Brady Squash Center to win its seventh Ivy League Championship title in school history.

    “I’m still on cloud nine, and I think most of the team is,” Rusty Feldman ’10 said. “Our coach was so proud, and all the guys on the team were elated.”

    This is the first time the Bulldogs (12–1, 6–0 Ivy) have won the Ivy Title outright since 1990. In 2006, the Elis split the honor with Harvard and Princeton.

    “It was only our second title in 20 years,” head coach Dave Talbott said. “Most of them weren’t born the last time we won.”

    Five of the nine matches were won 3–0. Naishadh Lalwani ’11 and captain Todd Ruth ’10 pulled out 3–1 victories at No. 6 and No. 2, respectively, while Aaron Fuchs ’11 toughed out a five-game match at the No. 3 spot.

    “Fuchs played an inspiring match and just kept showing that he was willing to dig deep,” Sharyar Aziz ’10 said. “Everyone who played had a lot of heart and dedication, and that’s always a big contributing factor.”

    In the No. 1 position, Kenny Chan ’13 had a 3–1 loss to Harvard senior Colin West, who was ranked third in the nation after last year’s College Squash Association Singles Tournament.

    Following the match, the Bulldogs were presented with the Ivy League Championship trophy.

    The win capped a perfect Ivy season for the Elis. The only blemish on the Bulldog’s record this season is their loss to No. 1 Trinity on Jan. 20.

    “They set their goals in August and never waivered” Talbott said. “They had the goal of winning the Ivy’s first and foremost. Number two is to win a national championship, and they still have a shot to do that next week.”

    In the CSA Teams Championships, to be held at the Brady Squash center from Feb. 19 to 21, the Elis are scheduled to face off against Rochester in their quarterfinal match if they win their first match on Friday. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated the Yellowjackets during the regular season but lost to them during Nationals.

    “The guys on the team last year didn’t forget that Rochester match easily,” Feldman said. “And there is still so much to do before we would even think about Trinity. At this point, we can’t look too far ahead.”

    Aziz attributed much of the team’s success to Ruth’s leadership and the example he has set for the team since August.

    “I can’t write it up any better: Being captain of the first non-shared ivy championship in 20 years and doing it on our home courts made it that much better,” Ruth said. “Now, we just need to focus for one more week and try to steal a national championship.”

  9. M. SQUASH | Bulldogs look to clinch Ivy title

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    The men’s squash team will look to secure the Ivy title on Saturday in its last conference match against Harvard at the Brady Squash Center.

    So far, the Bulldogs (11–1, 5–0 Ivy) have maintained a perfect record in the Ivy League. The Elis took down Brown 6–3 last weekend and narrowly defeated defending Ivy League Champion Princeton 5–4 on Jan. 30.

    “Barring a disaster, we should have a great chance to win the Ivy Title,” Sharyar Aziz ’10 said.

    The Bulldogs began the season ranked No. 4 in the National College Squash Association’s nationwide rankings but have risen to the No. 2 spot.

    Harvard, which is currently ranked No. 5, lost earlier this season to Princeton and Rochester, teams the Elis defeated in January.

    “Harvard is really strong at No. 1” C.J. Plimpton ’11 said. “Otherwise, in all the other spots, we’re the favorites.”

    The Bulldogs last won the Ivy title in 2006, when the championship was split three ways between Princeton, Harvard and Yale. The Elis have only won the Ivy title six times in the last 53 years, including the very first title in 1957. Princeton has earned 16 titles, including seven since 1999, while Harvard boasts the most all-time titles with 36.

    After Saturday’s match, the Elis will look to finally end Trinity’s domination on the courts. The No. 1 Bantam’s recently swept Williams 9–0, earning their 220th consecutive match win. Trinity, which boasts 11 consecutive national titles, is currently undefeated this season.

    The Elis hope to face-off against Trinity in the final round of the College Squash Association National Team Championships, which will be hosted by Yale from Feb. 19 to 21. But to make it to the final round, the Bulldogs will have to face some of the strongest opponents in the league.

    “Obviously, the Rochester match is going to be a tough one,” Rusty Feldman ’10 said.

    Rochester, which is currently ranked No. 3, slipped past Princeton early in the season, 5–4, and could pose a threat to the Bulldogs at Nationals.

    “If we play well enough and get another shot at Trinity, you never know what can happen,” Feldman said.

    Play begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Brady Squash Center

  10. M. SQUASH | Bulldogs one step closer to Ivy title

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    One to go.

    The men’s squash team defeated Brown, 6–3, on Saturday, putting them only one win away from an Ivy League championship.

    “For the most part, we played well but it certainly wasn’t our strongest showing,” Sharyar Aziz ’10 said. “We could have played better, but a win is a win. We still went up there and came back successful and that is something to be proud of.”

    The Bulldogs (11–1, 5–0 Ivy) won the top six matches. At No. 1, captain Todd Ruth ’10 swept Brown’s Brad Thompson, 11–8, 11–6 and 11–7. Hywel Robinson ’13, who is having an impressive rookie season with eight wins so far, also swept his opponent in three games at No. 2.

    “The top six specifically, played extremely strong squash and took care of business,” Aziz said. “It’s the same consistent, strong, smart squash they’ve been playing all season.”

    John Fulham ’11 dominated Eamon O’Connor at the No. 6 position, allowing a total of only five match balls against him and winning 11–1, 11–2 and 11–2.

    “[Fulham] has been a very strong player for us,” Aziz said. “He’s a tough person for anyone to go up against, and Saturday, his opponent was outmatched.”

    Robby Berner ’12 scraped out a narrow five-game win at No. 3. After dropping games one and three and winning games two and four, Berner came back to win game five 11–8.

    The Elis, who are stronger than the Bears (2–7, 0–5 Ivy) on paper, changed their roster for Saturday’s match. Sam Clayman ’12, Rusty Feldman ’10 and Sam Haig ’13 all played tough matches in the No. 9, No. 8, and No. 7 positions, respectively.

    The Bulldogs have one match left in their regular season, and it’s a big one. The only thing standing between the Bulldogs, who are undefeated in the Ivy League, and the league title is Harvard.

    Harvard (5–3, 4–1 Ivy) haven’t had as much success as the Elis this season, recently losing to Princeton 7–2, and Rochester 7–2, two teams the Bulldogs defeated in January.

    “Harvard is really strong at No. 1,” CJ Plimpton ’11 said. “Otherwise, in all the other spots, we’re the favorites.”

    At the end of February, Yale will host the College Squash Association National Team Championships at the Brady Squash Center. The Bulldogs will have a chance to square off again against this year’s toughest teams, including Rochester, Princeton, and Trinity. Against Trinity, the Elis are hoping that luck will favor them the second time around after losing to the11-time defending national champion Bantams 8–1 on Jan. 20.

    “If we play well enough and get another shot at Trinity, you never know what can happen,” Feldman said.

    The Bulldogs look to secure the Ivy League championship Saturday against Harvard at 1 p.m. at the Brady Squash Center before hosting the CSA Teams Championship Feb. 19-21.

  11. M. SQUASH | No. 2 Yale edges No. 4 Princeton 5–4

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    “That’s what I’m talking about, baby!” echoed throughout the Jadwin Squash Center this past weekend after the men’s squash team earned a crucial 5–4 victory against perennial rival Princeton (6–2, 3–1 Ivy).

    “Starting in August, we’ve been training with the Princeton match in mind,” Sharyar Aziz ’10 said. “This makes it all worth it — I’ve never been more proud or happy to be a member of this team.”

    But Saturday’s win did not come easy, with four of nine matches decided in five games.

    At No. 8, Robby Berner ’12 fought one of the hardest matches of the day against Princeton’s Jesus Pena. Pena took games one and three, while Berner secured two and four. In game five, Berner came from behind to win 16–14.

    “Winning 16–14 in the fifth game takes a lot of guts,” Aziz said.

    John Roberts ’12 was down 2–1 in the No. 5 position when he battled back in games four and five. Aaron Fuchs ’10 also scraped out a five-game victory against Christopher Callis. After dropping games one and two, Fuchs came back to win games three, four and five, 11–4, 11–8 and 11–9, respectively.

    “[Fuchs’] win set the tone for and drove the rest of our matches,” CJ Plimpton ’11 said. “Overall, we became the more determined team.”

    Added Aziz: “[Captain] Todd [Ruth ’10] told us in the huddle that, ‘luck favors the prepared.’ That was very fitting for this match, we were definitely the more prepared team.”

    At No. 1, Kenny Chan ’13 came back from behind to take games three and four, 11–6 and 12–10, before dropping game five 11–2. The Elis also struggled at the No. 6 and No. 7 positions, losing both 3–0.

    “Our squash program is all about being a blue-collar team that fights until the bitter end,” Aziz said. “That’s what it came down to on Saturday.”

    This weekend’s match was not just another win for the Elis. Throughout the season, the Bulldogs knew that in order to reclaim the Ivy League title, they would need to take down the reigning champion. Princeton has held the Ivy title since 2007. The year before, Harvard, Princeton and Yale shared the championship equally.

    “We pretty much just won the Ivy League championship,” Plimpton said after Saturday’s win. “Brown has never really challenged us. Harvard is really strong at No. 1, but otherwise we’re the favorites.”

    At the beginning of the season the Elis were committed to two main goals: threaten Trinity at Nationals and take down Princeton. Now that they have accomplished the latter, the Bulldogs are setting their sights on putting an end to the Bantam’s 11-year-long squash dominance.

    “After Saturday’s match, we’re obviously excited,” Rusty Feldman ’10 said. “But we have to finish strong — otherwise our win over Princeton won’t really mean as much. [The CSA National Championship] is a time to stay focused and work as hard as we’ve been working, since that is what has allowed us to have our success so far.”

    The Bulldogs step back on the court Feb. 6 to take on Brown, and finish off their regular season on Feb. 13 at home against Harvard. The CSA Team Championships start Feb. 19.