W. squash's Comey hero in victory over Dartmouth

Twice this weekend, sophomore No. 5 Frances Comey pulled out tough comeback wins for women's squash. Only once, however, was her effort enough to propel Princeton to victory.

On Saturday, thanks to Comey's pivotal win, the Tigers (6-5 overall, 3-3 Ivy League) defeated Dartmouth (11-4, 3-3) by the score of 5-4. The next day, Comey's win could only prevent a shutout, as Harvard (7-1, 5-0) triumphed, 8-1.

Due to a loss to Williams earlier in the season, a team that Dartmouth had no trouble defeating, 8-1, Princeton was considered to be the underdogs of the match. However, the Tigers were more than willing to go in claws unsheathed.

"We were confident we could beat them," senior captain Jennifer Shingleton said.

Head coach Gail Ramsay added, "All we need is for five players to step up and play well and win."

And that's exactly what they did.

The Tigers' bout with the Big Green ended after a climactic and drawn-out battle between Comey and Dartmouth's junior Crosby Haynes at No. 5.

"Before the fifth game I knew the match was 4-4. I don't think I've ever been in a match with so much riding on it," Comey said. "I wanted to win for the team and to prove to myself I could handle the pressure."

An eskimo trapped in a glacier doesn't stay as cool under pressure as Comey did Saturday. She won, 9-7, in the fifth game to give Princeton the victory, keeping women's squash undefeated against Dartmouth in all its years of play.

Freshman No. 1 Ruchika Kumar, sophomore No. 2 Patricia Gadsden, sophomore No. 3 Frances McKay, and freshman No. 6 Rebecca Shingleton also won their matches in the defeat of Dartmouth.

The next afternoon was a time for women's squash to celebrate its seniors, captains Jennifer Shingleton and Helen Smith.

Despite the confidence they gained from their upset over Dartmouth, the Tigers were not complacent against the more experienced Crimson team.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

"We were all ecstatic about the win over Dartmouth but knew a win over Harvard was not a realistic expectation," Smith said. "We were all simply hoping to play up to the challenge, improve our games and gain experience as a result of the match."

Princeton's lone win came again from Frances Comey. After the incredible performance Saturday, Comey's repeat on Sunday was that much more remarkable.

"I was physically and mentally tired during the Harvard match," Comey said. "But after winning the first match, I wanted to play hard and hopefully come up with a win." Down two games to one, Comey rallied back to take the last two games, 9-7 and 9-3, respectively.

Comey has struggled with physical issues all season, including Achilles heel surgery and back pains, but her mental game is still sharp.

"She was playing someone she was matched up well against [but] fatigue was setting in and she had to play on as if it didn't matter," coach Ramsay said. "[She had to think], 'If I don't win, I'm gonna lose.'"

While the men's team made relatively easy work of Harvard en route to the Ivy League championship, the women's team struggled. Outside of Comey's 3-2 win, the Tigers took just two games from the Crimson, with only the captains Smith and Shingleton capturing a game from their opponents. The Tigers lost, 8-1.

The Tigers' top player, Kumar, lost her match to Harvard's Louisa Hall, 3-0. Princeton's No. 2 player, Patricia Gadsden, was also swept by her Crimson opponent, 3-0.

With a win and a loss coming out of this weekend's events, Princeton might have improved its chances of earning a better seed in the upcoming Howe Cup Tournament, but the Tigers will not know their seed for several weeks.

Although the top three spots are almost certainly guaranteed to go to Harvard, Yale and the undefeated Trinity, with a good seed, it is very probable that we will see Princeton's name in the fourth position, especially if it continues to play at the same level of intensity it has all season.

"While a championship is not within our reach, we all hope to end the season knowing that we gave every point of every match our best possible effort," Smith said.

Even with a better seed, however, defeating Penn and Dartmouth will not be an easy task. Essentially, these Ivy rivals will prove as tough to beat as any opponents the Tigers will face all year.