Williams Surges Past Bates 8-1

CAMBRIDGE, MA - In another solid team performance, the #17 Williams men (16-9) scored an 8-1 win over the #20 Bates Bobcats (11-8) to reach the finals of their bracket in the season-ending national championship tournament.

Given the shifting order of play throughout the weekend, senior co-captain Will Means (#3), junior AJ Solecki (#6), and senior David Pincus (#7) were on first for the Ephs on the day. Solecki continued his recent strong play and earned a 3-0 win to get the Ephs on the board. Means and Pincus each dropped their first games, but battled their way back into their respective matches. Ultimately, Pincus added another point with a 3-1 win, while Means played a brilliant match but fell just short, losing out 11-9 in the crucial fifth.

Determined to extend the Ephs' lead, junior Wyatt Khosrowshahi (#2), senior co-captain Carl Shuck (#5), and freshman Charles "Chas Merrill (#9) stepped up to the plate. This tough trio had their foot on the gas from the start and never let up, delivering a set of three flawless 3-0 wins and sent the scoreline to 5-1, sealing the match for the cows.

Sophomore Jacob Bassil (#1), freshman Udai Pal (#4), and senior co-captain Claude Smith (#8) rounded out the day's play. As is characteristic of their fighting spirit, the Bobcats never stopped battling and continued to make their Williams opponents work. Nevertheless, in a collective brilliant show of grit and determination, all three Ephs pushed through to three more wins, all by 3-1 scorelines.

The win today sets up a final tomorrow afternoon at 2pm against the Middlebury Panthers, once again at Harvard's Murr Center.