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Princeton University Athletics
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#3 Princeton, #1 Yale Open Ivy Weekend With Key Saturday Squash Showdown
February 03, 2012 | Men's Squash
It doesn't happen often when a squash team can have Trinity on its schedule and that not even be the biggest match of the week. But with the inside track for the Ivy League title and a potential No. 2 seed in the national team championships both on the line, the Princeton men's squash team knows that there is plenty on the line Saturday at noon.
Of course, even without all of that, it's Princeton against Yale. So not much was needed to make the match meaningful.
Princeton will host a pair of Ivy League matches this weekend, including a Super Sunday noon showdown with Brown. The highlight match will begin Saturday at noon, when the third-ranked Tigers take on the top-ranked Bulldogs. The match will be streamed live on GoPrincetonTigers.TV.
Princeton comes into the weekend with an 8-1 record, 3-0 in the Ivy League, but it lost its only match of the season Wednesday night in a 7-2 marathon at second-ranked Trinity. Princeton lost a trio of 3-2 matches, all of which were decided by three points or fewer, and a fourth match by a tight 3-1 score.
It was Princeton's first match in more than two weeks, and it certainly helped shake any rust away before this key Ivy League weekend. The Tigers put themselves in position to charge for the Ivy League title with a stirring 5-4 win at Harvard in January; Princeton clinched that match with a win by sophomore Dylan Ward at the No. 7 spot. Ward is Princeton's lone undefeated player this season, thanks in part to his 3-0 win at Trinity last week.
While head coach Bob Callahan would love to see Ward continue that stretch this weekend, he knows that much of the match will hinge on what happens on the main court. In a three-shift format, the top three matches will all play on Court 1, and they will feature several intriguing matchups.
The No. 3 match will likely feature Princeton freshman Tyler Osborne, who suffered his first collegiate loss at Trinity, against Yale junior Richard Dodd. Both lost by 3-1 scores to Trinity, but both have won at least eight matches during the season. Dodd had critical wins over current Princeton co-captains Chris Callis and Kelly Shannon last season, while Osborne has scored numerous wins over ranked opponents early in his first season.
Callis, who is in the midst of his best season since an All-America performance freshman season, will likely take on Yale junior Hywel Robinson at No. 2. Callis dropped a 3-2 marathon against Trinity for his first loss of the season, while Robinson showed grit in a 3-2 comeback win over Rochester two weeks ago.
Princeton junior Todd Harrity, the reigning national champion, will take on Kenneth Chan, who played No. 3 for the Bulldogs last season. Harrity lost to Trinity's Vikram Malhotra last weekend, but has not lost a home match in his career.
Another key match will come at No. 4, where Shannon will take on Yale's John Roberts, who scored the winning point in the Bulldogs streak-ending win over Trinity.
Brown comes into the weekend with a 6-4 overall record and a 3-0 mark in the Ivy League. The Bears are led by No. 1 player Brad Thompson, who has won his last two matches heading into the weekend.