CAMBRIDGE, MA -- The men's squash team has made a habit of rectifying tough losses this season. After taking Bates 5-4 in NESCACs after a 6-3 loss in December, the Ephs are at it again.
On Saturday, Williams would face the Drexel Dragons who beat the Ephs 5-4 in mythical fashion early in the season. But the Ephs are a much different team than they were two months ago. The senior leadership and dedicated young players have certainly turned their season around. Facing Drexel in the consolation semi-finals, the stage was set for another amazing come-back.
The first round of matches saw a flurry of incredible squash. Led by Taylor Foehl '14, who defeated his number three opponent with intelligent shots and immaculate length, the Ephs took an early lead 2-1. Ryan Eagan '15 took a close four-game match at number nine after losing the first game. But he rallied behind cheers from friends family and teammates alike to take the next three.
Kai Graham '15 played hard but barely lost in his tough contest at number six. The second round of matches was defined by a glorious win by Varun Sharma at number eight. Going down 2-1 in games, the sophomore from San Diego showed resilience and mental fortitude to fight back and win in five. J
Jamie Ruggiero '17 also had to fight hard to defeat a skilled opponent at the number two position. Ruggiero lost the first two games, but was able to settle into a rhythm and wear out his opponent in another five-game victory. Though senior Andy Maruca '14 was eventually defeated at number five, Williams competed till the very end, where a dominant three-game win from the illustrious Chris Wilkinson '15 and a long four-game victory from Galen Squiers '16 brought the Ephs to their six win total on the day. Kevin Chen '15 fought hard but lost in four.
By the time the match was over, however, the Ephs had already taken the victory and secured their place in the consolation finals on Sunday. The men will compete for a number 13 national ranking against Bates College. The match on Sunday will be the third time the two teams have faced off this season. Taylor Foehl '14 expressed high hopes, saying, "This was a great win today that really shows how far we've progressed as a team this year. The young guys - Jamie, Galen, Varun - stepped up in a huge way. Bates willl be tough again tomorrow but we are all playing our best squash right now so it should be a great match."
