Squash: No. 3 men remain perfect with sweep

The Tigers experienced success on Saturday against Dartmouth. The men defeated the No. 7 Big Green 8-1, and the women finished the match with a clean 9-0 sweep. While the men’s team (8-0 overall, 3-0 Ivy League) continued to carry that momentum into the match against No. 5 Harvard the following day, winning 5-4, the women’s team (5-2, 1-2) had a less favorable result, falling 5-4 to the top-ranked Crimson.

Though the women’s team experienced an unfortunate loss against Harvard, the extremely close match that was decided by one point reminds the Tigers that all the teams at the top are competitive and each has its chance at winning. After leading 4-2 after two shifts, the No. 4 Tigers lost their grip on the match while the Crimson (9-0, 3-0) came back and won each match of the last shift.

“We’re definitely disappointed with the final result,” junior Julie Cerullo said. “But we were right there neck and neck with them and we’re looking forward to playing them again in the future.”

However, the 5-4 loss on the women’s side proves just how competitive the top teams are.

“I think being so close makes us realize that we definitely have a shot at winning the Howe Cup,” Cerullo said of the women’s team national championship.

In a long but exciting match, the No. 3 men’s team defeated No. 5 Harvard (10-1, 2-1), breaking the Crimson’s 10-match winning streak. With a few more wins under their belts, the men’s team is also able to remain hopeful for its chances at the national title. And with All-America senior Kelly Shannon back in the lineup, the future for the Tigers looks more hopeful than ever.

Shannon had been out for most of the season due to a shoulder injury that occurred early in the fall. With only a week of training under his belt, Shannon had a positive start with a 3-0 win over Dartmouth’s Chris Jung at No. 4. Though the result of his Harvard match was not as favorable, Shannon expects to continue to improve.

“I had a tough opponent [against Harvard] and I was trying to get things working, but it just felt like a few things were off,” Shannon said. “I think that is the result of not having a lot of practice and matches under my belt.”

While he was out with injury, the co-captain had to lead the team from the sidelines, which he said has not always been easy.

“It’s hard to try to motivate people and be a good leader when you can’t actually be in the trenches with everyone,” Shannon said. “But I’m not completely removed from the team. I’ve been trying to work hard to do the things that I can actually do.”

Junior No. 1 Todd Harrity lost his first match since the 2009-10 season. Harvard's Ali Farag, who is currently ranked among the top 100 players in the world, played his first college match on Sunday; Harrity won the second and third games, but Farag came back to win the match in five.

The Tigers have a few weeks before they return to the courts. While the men will take on No. 1 Trinity on Feb. 1, the women come back at home on Feb. 3 against No. 6 Stanford.

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Before they get to those matches, however, the players have to get through exam week.

“We knew we’d have such a tough weekend right before Dean’s Date,” Cerullo said. “But I’m impressed with how the team has handled that.”

Saturday, May 3

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