Coming off last year's second-place finish in the national collegiate men's squash tournament, the Tigers are eager for an even more successful season this winter.
Looking back on the 2001-2002 season, Princeton has much to be proud of.
A 5-4 win over Yale late in the season earned the Tigers the title of Ivy League champions, although they later lost to Trinity College for the top squash honors in the nation.
But Princeton can't afford to live in the past. Stakes are high this winter, as is the level of competition. Solid Yale and Harvard teams stand in the way of the Tigers, who will try to defend the Ivy League title again this year. Princeton has every hope for a powerful showing if it keeps up its intensity.
"We have two goals this year," head coach Bob Callahan said. "One is to win the Ivy League championship. The other is to win the U.S. Five-Man Team Championships."
The Five-Man Team Championship in December is a mid-season tournament open to all squash players around the country. Any city or any school can send teams of five players to compete in individual best-of-five matches against the other teams. Princeton and Trinity have dominated this tournament over the past few years. The Tigers hope to recapture this championship from Trinity, who won it last year.
A win in the Ivy League Preseason Tournament gave Princeton squash fans a promising preview of things to come. On Nov. 10, Princeton defeated Columbia, Cornell, and Yale for the preseason honors.
Moving on to the regular season, the Tigers (1-0 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) started off last Sunday with a healthy level of confidence as they faced Cornell (0-1, 0-1). The Tigers looked like a team capable of achieving their goal of another Ivy title, provided that they keep up their level of play.
Wins at No. 1 through No. 4 put Princeton ahead early. Seniors No. 1 David Yik, No. 3 Dan Ruthorford, and No. 4 Eric Pearson all won their individual matches cleanly, 3-0. Senior No. 2 Will Evans had a tougher time with his opponent — tied at two games apiece, the two were forced to play a fifth and deciding game — but he recovered to win the final game overwhelmingly, 9-0.
Though the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, junior Aaron Zimmerman and sophomore Dent Wilkens, lost their individual matches, the next three players' wins ensured an overall Princeton victory. Sophomore No. 7 Nathan Beck, sophomore No. 8 Rob Siverd, and freshman No. 9 Will Boothby each won in four games or less.
Noticeably absent was the freshman standout from Egypt, Yasser El Halaby.
El Halaby is still undergoing a certification process so that he can legally play in the US, but he should be on the court by next week, according to Callahan.
Leadership from the team's four seniors should make for a great season.
"They have all had a tremendous impact on Princeton squash," Coach Callahan asserted.
The Tigers will next face Franklin & Marshall at home this Thursday. On Saturday, they travel to Providence to take on Brown.
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