Williams Men's Squash Finishes 2nd in Summer's Cup at CSA Nationals

New Haven, CT--The Williams men went down to New Haven this past weekend hoping to secure the C division national title and avenge their early season loss to Bates. In the quarters and semis, Williams played great squash, earning a 9-0 victory over Bowdoin and an 8-1 victory over Wesleyan to reach the finals. Some highlights included Jamie Ruggiero's '17 (#1) impressive win over the Wesleyan #1, whom he had barely beaten earlier in the season. These two strong victories set the stage for the match the Ephs had been waiting for all season--a shot at their longtime rival, Bates.

In the first round of matches on Sunday, Williams looked like they had a shot. Varun Sharma '16 (#9) won in four games to give the Ephs a 1-0 lead in his last collegiate match. He finished the season on a five match win streak, with wins over Middlebury, Dartmouth, and Bates. Coach Levy was really happy with his effort, and how he bounced back after some tough early season losses. On the top court, John Shuck '17 (#3) played outstanding squash to split the first two games with an opponent who earned All-NESCAC honors last season. Unfortunately, he lost a crucial game-ball in the third game which took away all of his momentum. David Pincus '19 (#6) also lost in three games, putting Bates up 2-1. In the second round of matches, Bates clinched the match. Mason Elizondo '18 (#8) and Michael Petrick '16 (#5) each lost in four games, giving Bates a 4-1 lead. With the strength of Bates's top two players, the Ephs needed two miracles in order to have a shot at the match. John Fitzgerald '19 (#2) played extremely well on the top court, but was unable to keep up with his nationally-ranked opponent.

In the final round of matches, Williams got one great final performance out of Galen Squiers '16 (#4). He won in four games, ending his career with three wins at nationals. In addition, Jamie Ruggiero played some of the best squash he has played all season, taking a game off of the top-ranked player in the country. Overall, it was a tough loss for the Ephs. Coach Levy is excited about next season already: "We are graduating three amazing captains and great players, but are getting three good recruits next season who will have an immediate impact. In addition, I am excited about the potential of some of the young players on this team. Next year, I think we will be back in the B divsion competing for a top-15 national ranking."