Saturday, December 9
Princeton, N.J.
12:00 PM
Princeton University
vs
Drexel
Duncan Joyce and the Princeton men's squash team hosts 7th-ranked Drexel Saturday at noon on the Ivy League Network.
Photo by: Beverly Schaefer
Men's Squash Tries To Climb Ranking Ladder Saturday vs. #8 Drexel
December 08, 2017 | Men's Squash
There has been plenty to be excited about in the early weeks of the Princeton men's squash season, but the eighth-ranked Tigers can make a big statement in the 2017 finale Saturday afternoon when they host the seventh-ranked Drexel Dragons Saturday at 12 pm in a match that will be streamed live on the Ivy League Network.
Princeton opened its season with three victories in four matches, and its lone loss was a 5-4 thriller to third-ranked St. Lawrence last weekend in Jadwin. That match was the home debut for the highly touted Class of 2021, which has more than lived up to expectations. While the standout of that class, #1 player Youssef Ibrahim, has been brilliant in his early matches, head coach Sean Wilkinson has seen freshmen Cole Becker, Duncan Joyce and Alex Engstrom jump into the starting lineup and provide immediate contributions.
Princeton has also been helped by the strong play of several veterans, including senior co-captain Abhimanyu Shah and junior Clark Doyle, both of whom won tough matches last Saturday against St. Lawrence. Fellow junior Cody Cortes should have good memories of last season's Drexel match, as he won a marathon 15-13, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10 thriller in Jadwin during a tough 6-3 team loss to the fifth-ranked Dragons.
While winning an Ivy League championship will always remain a top goal for Princeton (3-1), the Tigers want nothing more than to jump back into the A flight at the CSA team championships for the first time since 2013 this season, and Saturday's match with Drexel will provide a big opportunity. The Dragons (2-4) are slotted one spot ahead of Princeton in the latest CSA rankings, and with only eight berths available in the team championships, Saturday's winner could gain a big advantage that will pay off two months from now.
Following Saturday's match, Princeton will be off until Jan. 7, when it hosts Virginia at 11 am.
Princeton opened its season with three victories in four matches, and its lone loss was a 5-4 thriller to third-ranked St. Lawrence last weekend in Jadwin. That match was the home debut for the highly touted Class of 2021, which has more than lived up to expectations. While the standout of that class, #1 player Youssef Ibrahim, has been brilliant in his early matches, head coach Sean Wilkinson has seen freshmen Cole Becker, Duncan Joyce and Alex Engstrom jump into the starting lineup and provide immediate contributions.
Princeton has also been helped by the strong play of several veterans, including senior co-captain Abhimanyu Shah and junior Clark Doyle, both of whom won tough matches last Saturday against St. Lawrence. Fellow junior Cody Cortes should have good memories of last season's Drexel match, as he won a marathon 15-13, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10 thriller in Jadwin during a tough 6-3 team loss to the fifth-ranked Dragons.
While winning an Ivy League championship will always remain a top goal for Princeton (3-1), the Tigers want nothing more than to jump back into the A flight at the CSA team championships for the first time since 2013 this season, and Saturday's match with Drexel will provide a big opportunity. The Dragons (2-4) are slotted one spot ahead of Princeton in the latest CSA rankings, and with only eight berths available in the team championships, Saturday's winner could gain a big advantage that will pay off two months from now.
Following Saturday's match, Princeton will be off until Jan. 7, when it hosts Virginia at 11 am.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Squash
/ Men's Squash
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