The Ivy League champion men's squash team (8-1 overall, 6-0 Ivy League) has the opportunity to complete a rare feat in collegiate athletics this weekend in New Haven, Conn. — bringing the men's national title back to Old Nassau in the same sport and the same year as Princeton also held the women's title.
The Tigers will enter the Potter Cup tournament as the No. 2 seed, and are looking to follow in the footsteps of their female counterparts, who completed a perfect season by winning the national championship on the same Yale University courts last weekend.
If the men succeed, it will be the sixth time in Princeton squash history that the two teams will concurrently hold the national championship, with the most recent time occurrence in the 1981 season.
There are two major obstacles standing in the Tigers' way, however. First is Harvard, who has enjoyed a successful season but lost a tough 6-3 decision to Princeton in the Ivy League championship match.
Led by senior standouts Siddharth Suchde, a finalist in the national individual championship last year, and Ilan Oren, the No. 3-seeded Crimson will look to avenge their loss this weekend, as they will likely meet the Tigers in the semifinals on Saturday.
"Harvard's lineup is full of talented players," senior tri-captain Michael Gilman said. "We are going to have to stay in the present and be prepared to play on Saturday if we expect to beat them again."
The second barrier is top-ranked Trinity, winner of the last 8 national championships. The Bantams defeated Princeton last Saturday in Jadwin Gymnasium, 7-2, extending their consecutive wins streak to a remarkable 162 matches.
"Trinity showed last weekend why they are the top-ranked team," senior Preston Comey said, "but everyone has been preparing well in practice this week. If we all show up in top form, the match should be very exciting."
Leading the Tigers into this weekend's action is the sensational sophomore trio of No. 1 Mauricio Sanchez, No. 2 Hesham El Halaby and No. 3 Kimlee Wong. Sanchez, who completed the regular season undefeated, enters the tournament as the top-ranked individual in the nation.
In the middle of the ladder are freshmen Santiago Imberton and David Canner, both of whom will be playing in their first collegiate national championship. Having garnered a wealth of experience in big matches during their junior careers and the regular season, these two will look to carry the success they enjoyed during the regular season onto the national stage.
Other highlights in the Princeton lineup are seniors Vincent Yu, Comey and Gilman, all of whom will be playing their final matches for the Orange and Black. Head coach Bob Callahan will be looking for inspiring performances from these three veterans to set the tone for his team this weekend.
If everything goes according to plan, the Princeton community is in for another exciting weekend of collegiate squash.
Play begins Friday afternoon in New Haven, Conn. The semifinals will be played Saturday, followed by the national championship match Sunday.
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