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Princeton University Athletics
Saturday, January 29
New Haven, Conn.
1:00 PM
Princeton University
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at
5
Yale
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Squash
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/ Men's Squash
/ Men's Squash
/ Men's Squash
/ Men's Squash
Yale Takes Last Match To Win Men's Squash Thriller 5-4
January 30, 2011 | Men's Squash
The third-ranked Princeton men's squash team nearly overcame a daunting obstacle Saturday afternoon, knocking off the reigning Ivy League champion in its own building, but it was the second-ranked Yale Bulldogs that pulled out a 5-4 thriller.
It was the second straight year that Yale has knocked off Princeton by one match, and it leaves Yale on the inside track for the 2011 Ivy League title. The Tigers will need help, likely from Harvard, and then run the table on their own to capture a share of the league crown.
However, head coach Bob Callahan is optimistic about what his team can control for the remainder of the season.
“We're going to get better from this,” he said. “We'll be better next week, and the week after, and then into Nationals. This was a great day of squash, and I credit Yale for great quality of play and great sportsmanship. Our guys also played very hard and very well, but Yale played a little better.”
Princeton was down 2-1 after the first shift, although it was one game away from flipping that. Yale got a 3-0 win at No. 9, while Princeton's David Pena broke a 1-1 tie with a 13-11 win in the third game and defeated 11-8 in the fourth to win his match at No. 6.
That left junior Chris Callis, who had won two very tight games at the No. 3 spot, against a tough competitor in Richard Dodd. The host took control in the third and fourth games, and though the fifth was closer, it was Dodd who pulled off an 11-8 win.
Everything evened in the second shift, although again Princeton was one game away from taking the lead. Junior Clay Blackiston, whom Callahan thinks played the best he's ever seen, nearly upset Robert Berner at the No. 8 spot. After wins of 11-6 and 11-9, Blackiston dropped the third 11-7 and lost two more tight games.
Junior Kelly Shannon was very impressive in his season debut, dropping only a 13-11 game in a 3-1 win over John Fulham at the No. 5 spot. Shannon cruised in the opening game to an 11-2 win and was strong in the final two.
Senior David Letourneau was also impressive in a hard-fought 3-1 win over Kenneth Chan at No. 2. Each of the four games was decided by three points or fewer, but Letourneau clinch the win 11-9 in the fourth.
That left it up to the final shift, and Yale moved to the brink of victory with a 3-0 win for John Roberts over Philip Sopher at No. 7. Princeton's No. 1 and the top-ranked player in the nation, Todd Harrity, got the Tigers to 4 with a 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 win over Hywel Robinson.
All that was left was the No. 4 match between Princeton co-captain Peter Sopher and Yale senior Naishadh Lalwani. Sopher won the first set 11-8, but Lalwani came back with an 11-8 win in the second. Lalwani established control in the third with an 11-5 win and finished the match 11-5 in the fourth.
Princeton will return home next weekend to face both Dartmouth and Harvard at the Jadwin Squash Courts.
1 – Todd Harrity (P) d. Hywel Robinson 10, 6, 3
2 – David Letourneau (P) d. Kenneth Chan 8, 8, (9), 9
3 – Richard Dodd (Y) d. Christopher Callis (8), (10), 4, 2, 8
4 – Naishadh Lalwani (Y) d. Peter Sopher (8), 8, 5, 5
5 – Kelly Shannon (P) d. John Fulham 2, (11), 4, 8
6 – David Pena (P) d. Ryan Dowd 5, (10), 11, 8
7 – John Roberts (Y) d. Philip Sopher 5, 0, 4
8 – Robert Berner (Y) d. Clay Blackiston (6), (9), 7, 5, 7
9 – Christopher Plimpton (Y) d. Dylan Ward 10, 6, 2
It was the second straight year that Yale has knocked off Princeton by one match, and it leaves Yale on the inside track for the 2011 Ivy League title. The Tigers will need help, likely from Harvard, and then run the table on their own to capture a share of the league crown.
However, head coach Bob Callahan is optimistic about what his team can control for the remainder of the season.
“We're going to get better from this,” he said. “We'll be better next week, and the week after, and then into Nationals. This was a great day of squash, and I credit Yale for great quality of play and great sportsmanship. Our guys also played very hard and very well, but Yale played a little better.”
Princeton was down 2-1 after the first shift, although it was one game away from flipping that. Yale got a 3-0 win at No. 9, while Princeton's David Pena broke a 1-1 tie with a 13-11 win in the third game and defeated 11-8 in the fourth to win his match at No. 6.
That left junior Chris Callis, who had won two very tight games at the No. 3 spot, against a tough competitor in Richard Dodd. The host took control in the third and fourth games, and though the fifth was closer, it was Dodd who pulled off an 11-8 win.
Everything evened in the second shift, although again Princeton was one game away from taking the lead. Junior Clay Blackiston, whom Callahan thinks played the best he's ever seen, nearly upset Robert Berner at the No. 8 spot. After wins of 11-6 and 11-9, Blackiston dropped the third 11-7 and lost two more tight games.
Junior Kelly Shannon was very impressive in his season debut, dropping only a 13-11 game in a 3-1 win over John Fulham at the No. 5 spot. Shannon cruised in the opening game to an 11-2 win and was strong in the final two.
Senior David Letourneau was also impressive in a hard-fought 3-1 win over Kenneth Chan at No. 2. Each of the four games was decided by three points or fewer, but Letourneau clinch the win 11-9 in the fourth.
That left it up to the final shift, and Yale moved to the brink of victory with a 3-0 win for John Roberts over Philip Sopher at No. 7. Princeton's No. 1 and the top-ranked player in the nation, Todd Harrity, got the Tigers to 4 with a 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 win over Hywel Robinson.
All that was left was the No. 4 match between Princeton co-captain Peter Sopher and Yale senior Naishadh Lalwani. Sopher won the first set 11-8, but Lalwani came back with an 11-8 win in the second. Lalwani established control in the third with an 11-5 win and finished the match 11-5 in the fourth.
Princeton will return home next weekend to face both Dartmouth and Harvard at the Jadwin Squash Courts.
1 – Todd Harrity (P) d. Hywel Robinson 10, 6, 3
2 – David Letourneau (P) d. Kenneth Chan 8, 8, (9), 9
3 – Richard Dodd (Y) d. Christopher Callis (8), (10), 4, 2, 8
4 – Naishadh Lalwani (Y) d. Peter Sopher (8), 8, 5, 5
5 – Kelly Shannon (P) d. John Fulham 2, (11), 4, 8
6 – David Pena (P) d. Ryan Dowd 5, (10), 11, 8
7 – John Roberts (Y) d. Philip Sopher 5, 0, 4
8 – Robert Berner (Y) d. Clay Blackiston (6), (9), 7, 5, 7
9 – Christopher Plimpton (Y) d. Dylan Ward 10, 6, 2
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