Princeton dominance leads to third straight title

Correction appended

Anyone who says perfection is overrated hasn’t talked to the men’s squash team. The No. 2 Tigers’ (9-1 overall, 6-0 Ivy League) sweep of Dartmouth (12-4, 2-3) and Harvard (5-2, 4-1) to take the Ivy League crown this weekend was the first time that any team has swept every match in the Ivy League. On the road for both matches, the Tigers were not phased by the cold confines of the northernmost Ivies this past weekend. Flawless is the only way to describe this Ivy season, as one of Princeton’s most successful programs continues its winning ways.

Not to be outdone, the No. 2-ranked women’s squash team (8-0, 6-0) also won its matches against Dartmouth (10-6, 3-3) and Harvard (5-2, 3-2). With a perfect 9-0 win against Dartmouth and a 6-3 victory versus No. 3-ranked Harvard, the women’s team built momentum for a potential Howe Cup rematch with No. 1 Penn.

Saturday, the men took on the No. 6 Big Green. In the 9-0 team win, Princeton dropped only one game. But senior co-captain Tom McKay roared back after his 9-8 loss in the first game to sweep the final two games 9-0 and 9-0. Fellow senior co-captain Brendon Bascom led his team to another victory, contributing victorious games of 9-2, 9-4 and 9-1. In the minimum 27 games, the Tigers only allowed 44 points, less than two points per game.

The most lopsided victory belonged to sophomore Santiago Imberton, who held his opponent to only a single point. Head coach Bob Callahan ’77 was not surprised by this result, as he described Imberton as “a hard worker” and “a very talented shot-maker.”

But this passion and skill is not unique to Imberton. Simply, this combination of talent and drive, which is possessed by every player up and down the ladder, has led to one of the most remarkable runs in Princeton squash history. And for that matter, this level of domination must be envied by every sports team at Princeton.

Moving on to Cambridge, Mass., the Tigers faced the No. 3 Crimson. By beating Harvard 9-0, the Tigers once again separated themselves from the rest of the Ivy League. Despite playing a much closer match in terms of point differential, the Tigers still won 9-0. Having steadily climbed the ladder throughout the season, freshman David Letourneau made his case for Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Along with the rest of the Tigers, he did not drop a match in league play, but he also won a crucial match against the Trinity Bantams, whom the Tigers hope to deprive of this year’s national title.

“Against Harvard was actually one of my best performances this year.

I was 6-0 in the first game and was able to calm myself down to win three games to love, which was really great for the team,” Letourneau said. “I am excited to be playing my best squash heading into the national championships this coming weekend.”

As the season comes to a close, the Tigers have their eye on the ultimate finish line.

“It feels great to win our third-straight Ivy championship, but also to go into next weekend’s national championship with momentum. Hopefully we can achieve our goal

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of ending Trinity’s streak and win nationals,” McKay said.

The women also turned in an impressive performance against the Big Green as the bottom of the ladder shined. Senior tri-captain Carly Grabowski, junior Maggie O’Toole and senior tri-captain Margaret Kent all recorded shutouts. Meanwhile, the top of the ladder hopes to round into form with last year’s All-America sophomore Neha Kumar, who is recovering from an injury.

After a rough first game, Kumar decimated her opponent in the final two games before her opponent retired. Junior Casey Riley also continued her comeback, winning 9-3, 9-2, 9-1.

In the much closer Harvard match, the Tigers earned another tough win, taking this year’s Harvard-Yale-Princeton crown. Though the Tigers lost three matches, they won five matches in the minimum three games, showing that the team definitely has the talent to command a superior performance.

“I think that we need to maintain our fitness, and as always, really sharpen up before the big weekend. Right now, we’re working on cutting down on any unforced errors that we make in matches and trying to focus in and get ready for some very big matches,” sophomore Kaitlin Sennatt said.

And when better to have a sharp weekend than next week’s national championships, which will be held at Princeton.

Correction:

The original article incorrectly attributed the paragraph about the squash team's talent and drive to coach Bob Callahan. In fact, these statements were the writer's own words. The Daily Princetonian regrets the error.