Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Franklin & Marshall
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Men's Squash Knocks Off Higher-Ranked F&M For Strong Open To 2014-15 Season
November 23, 2014 | Men's Squash
The 10th-ranked Princeton men's squash team knocked off seventh-ranked Franklin & Marshall Saturday afternoon in the Tigers' home and season opener. One year after losing 7-2 to the Diplomats and falling out of the 'A' flight at the national championships, Princeton has made a strong early statement that it is looking to get back with the national elite.
Princeton got wins from both of its freshman starters, including a gutsy 3-2 win at the No. 8 spot from Abhimanyu Shah that helped carry Princeton during the crucial second shift. That win, combined with a 3-2 win from three-time All-America Tyler Osborne clinched the win for the Tigers before the first shift took the floor.
Princeton held a 2-1 lead after wins by sophomore Ben Leizman (No. 6) and Komron Shayegan (No. 9); the latter came in the collegiate debut for Shayegan, who came from the nearby Lawrenceville School to play at the collegiate level.
Junior Michael LeBlanc made it 3-1 Princeton with a win at No. 5, and then he turned it over to Shah and Osborne to clinch the win. Shah was pushed to five after a tight loss in the fourth, but he showed impressive resilience in taking the final game.
As for Osborne, there haven't been many players in the last decade that a Princeton fan would trust more in a crucial spot. Osborne raced out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth and finished Dylan Cunningham 11-7 to secure the win.
Senior All-America Samuel Kang finished the job with a 3-0 win at the No. 1 spot; he will lead the Tigers to Annapolis Sunday morning for an 11 am showdown with the Navy Midshipmen.
Princeton 6, Franklin & Marshall 3
1 – Samuel Kang (P) d. Cole Osborne 3-0
2 – Tyler Osborne (P) d. Dylan Cunningham 3-2
3 – Alex Arjoon (F) d. David Hoffman 3-1
4 – Pedro Veiga (F) d. Taylor Tutrone 3-0
5 – Michael LeBlanc (P) d. Gavan Hitchenor 3-0
6 – Ben Leizman (P) d. Michael Sorochev 3-1
7 – BJ Henry (F) d. Sam Ezratty 3-2
8 – Abhimanyu Shah (P) d. Karim Nabil 3-2
9 – Komron Shayegan (P) d. Chris Bown 3-0