Princeton University
Harvard
Pair Of Five-Game Wins Gives Women's Squash Thriller At Harvard
February 08, 2004 | Women's Squash
Feb. 8, 2004
The Princeton women's squash team earned a dramatic win for the program Sunday when it squeaked out a 5-4 victory at Harvard. Marilla Hiltz and Francie Comey each won their fifth games to provide the final two team points for Princeton in the win.
"It was a great match," Princeton head coach Gail Ramsay said. "Everybody, everybody, played well. It was a great team effort across the board. We're very excited about this win."
Harvard and Princeton were tied at 2-2 after the first rotation, which featured the even-numbered matches. No. 2 Ali Pearson and No. 4 Tricia Gadsden both fell, although Gadsden gave opponent Lydia Williams a very tough match and even took the first game. Genevieve Lessard won comfortable at No. 6, and Franny McKay won 3-1 at No. 8. She pulled off 9-7 and 10-8 wins in the final two games to take that match to even the team score as the odd-numbered matches began play. "McKay played a really aggressive first game," Ramsay said. "She struggled a little bit in the second game, but she put it back together. It was a great win for Franny.
Freshman Claire Rein-Weston has a bright future for Princeton, but in her first league weekend as the No. 1 player, she was outmatched. Senior Louisa Hall won 3-0, and Audrey Duboc topped senior co-captain Annie Rein-Weston 3-1 at the No. 3 spot. That left no margin for error for junior Francie Comey and freshmen Marilla Hiltz and Anina Nolan. After having just won a 3-2 decision the day before at Dartmouth, Nolan made quick work of Sarah Thorndike in a 3-0 win.
Hiltz and Comey wouldn't have it as easy. Comey and Tina Brown split a pair of 9-5 games before the Harvard junior pulled out a 10-8 win in the third game. Comey wouldn't be denied, pulling out the No. 9 match with 9-4 and 9-1 wins.
"Francie Comey had a tough match yesterday," Ramsay said. "She lost in five, and she's been dealing with some injuries, but she was confident that she could do it. Down 2-1, she really put it together and won the last two games pretty decisively."
That left Hiltz, who learned the phrase 'baptism under fire' on this day. The freshman dropped the first two games at No. 5 to Moira Weigel 9-5 and 9-7, but she battled back with 9-6 and 9-5 wins of her own. That left one final game to decide the match, and the Princeton freshman didn't allow a single point as she clinched her win and the overall match with a 9-0 score in that fifth game.
"Hiltz played a spectacular match," Ramsay said. "It was a great showing from her. She started out a little stressed and nervous, going out last and playing for the first time at Harvard. It was really impressive that she could work her way back in that match after going down 2-0."
Princeton 3, Harvard 2
1 - L. Hall (H) def Claire Rein Weston (P) 3-0 (2,2,0)
2 - L. Wilkins (H) def. Ali Pearson (P) 3-0 (3,2,2)
3 - A. Duboc (H) def. Annie Rein-Weston (P) 3-1 (7,(6),1,0)
4 - L. Williams (H) def. Tricia Gadsden (P) 3-1 ((7),4,4,3)
5 - Marilla Hiltz def. M. Weigel (H) 3-2 ((5),(7),6,5,0)
6 - Genivieve Lessard (P) def. A. Fast (H) def. 3-0 (5,5,3)
7 - Anina Nolan (P) def. S. Thorndike (H) 3-0 (7,7,0)
8 - Franny McKay (P) def. S. Hendricks (H) 3-1 (2,(8),7,8)
9 - Francie Comey (P) def. T. Brown (H) 3-2 (5,(5),(8),4,1)
10 - Rebecca Shingleton (P) def. Johnson 3-0 (0,8,6)