WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - The men's squash team prevailed today against the higher ranked team from Brown in their second upset of the week. Coming from a 5-4 upset against the #16 ranked Middlebury team, the Ephs extended their confidence and high level of play to produce another win.
Playing on the classic three court system in the last home match of the season, the match began shortly after a small ceremony honoring the seniors. Co-captains John Shuck and Jamie Ruggiero and fellow senior Jack McLean were given small gift and a round of applause. To top it off, Bill Simon, the benefactor of the Simon Squash Center, was in the crowd supporting the team.
Will Means '20, Will Ruggiero '19, and Andrew Litvin '18 were up first at the 3, 6, and 9 spots respectively. Will Means fought hard and after a couple of previously lost matches, was able to clinch a four game victory. However, Will Ruggiero and Andrew Litvin fell to their opponents and the Ephs went down 2-1.
Up next were John Fitzgerald '19, Carl Shuck '20, and Claude Smith '20 at the 2, 5, and 8 spots respectively. Both John and Claude were able defeat their opponents in stellar three game victories, producing some of their best individual performances of the season. Carl had to fight for a lengthy five games to clinch his victory, but the three performances put the Ephs in scoring position with the score at 4-2.
Last to go on court were Jamie Ruggiero '17, John Shuck '17 and Mason Elizondo '18 at the 1, 4, and 7 spots. Jamie Ruggiero was able to dispatch of his #1 opponent in four tight games, bringing another win to his list of impressive performances. This victory clinched the win for the Ephs. Next to finish was Mason Elizondo who also won against his opponent in four. Last to finish was John Shuck, who played five hard games but ultimately fell to a talented opponent. The final score sat at 6-3 Ephs.
Coach Zafi Levy said of the win, "We really had some fabulous work today. We should all be proud of the boy's performance today. I am especially happy for Claude and Mason, who both played so well and won decisively. Our top court also rocked with amazing performances and Carl pulled another impressive win. I am looking forward to training smart as we work towards the post-season."
The team will travel to Columbia on Friday and then to Little Three's on Saturday at Amherst.
