The men's squash team went into its match against Bowdoin on Saturday with two 5-4 nail-biters from last season, both ultimately ending in the Polar Bears' favor, in the back of their minds.
They were close to home this time, playing at Harvard surrounded by a large number of fans and a great deal of excitement. Tufts quickly won three matches at Nos. 1, 2 and 4, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and just two points away from what would have been one of the biggest wins in school history.
But that was all the team would get, as the match ended 6-3 in favor of the Jumbos' Maine rivals. The Polar Bears dominated at the bottom, courtesy of what Tufts coach Doug Eng called one of most consistent ladders in college squash.
"We are a good team at the bottom, but nationally, they are probably the best team from [numbers] one to nine," Eng said. "Bowdoin's nine is only marginally weaker than their one.
"We just need to figure out what we are going to do next time," he continued. "We will need to either sweep them at the top or beat them in a match or two at the bottom."
Tufts was just one win away from just such a sweep at the top of the ladder. Senior tri-captain Jake Gross easily handled Bowdoin junior Chris Nehrbas, winning 9-0, 9-5, 9-1 and dropping just six points in the match.
"I have played Chris a few times in the past, and I think since [Bowdoin] had not played as many matches, he was a little out of shape," Gross said. "I played well, and I definitely got a boost of confidence seeing that Alex had won already."
Alex is the captain's freshman brother, who took down his opponent in straight games in the No. 2 spot. Sophomore John Subranni also got a quick win at No. 4 and a Tufts win looked possible.
But the Jumbos went on to lose in straight games in four of the other six matches. Only senior tri-captains Nelson Schubart and Kris Leetavorn extended their matches past the first three games, to five and four games, respectively.
"It was disappointing to see everyone else go down, but they put up a lot of good fights," Jake Gross said. "We definitely saw spots where we could have taken the match ... We might have gotten too psyched up and forgotten our game plan. I think some of the guys put too much pressure on themselves, but people learned what works and what does not work in big spots."
The Jumbos also took on two less challenging opponents at the Shootout, beating Middlebury 8-1 later in the day on Saturday, and then blanking Northeastern 9-0 on Sunday.
Against Northeastern, Tufts did what it was expected to do, handling the Huskies in a one-sided contest. In the nine matches, Tufts took eight in straight games, while just Shubart's went to four. Despite the easy result, Jake Gross felt that the match was a good experience for the team.
"I was surprised by the level of talent in the freshman I played," he said. "But I used my experience, stepped up in the court and kept him off his element. We were able to take care of business, and I think that helped us with our confidence."
The story was much the same in Saturday's match against Middlebury, as the Jumbos got wins in all but the No. 3 spot. Five of them came in straight games.
"The score doesn't reflect this, but our guys were pretty tired by the second and third matches, and both teams were vastly improved since last year, so it was good to see everyone suck it up and get the win," Jake Gross said.
Next on the radar for the men's squash team is a big match against Amherst Thursday evening. Last year, Tufts left Amherst, Mass. left with a disappointing 9-0 loss. This year, Amherst will travel to the Belmont Hill School to take on the Jumbos, and Eng would like to see a better result. But the Lord Jeffs' lineup is the same as last year at Nos. 4 through 7, where the Jumbos lost in straight games, with only one by less than six points.
"The scouting report from other coaches indicated that Amherst is very vulnerable," Eng said. "Last year, we also played our worst match of the season at their courts. This year, we are clearly stronger at the top. If they are vulnerable, it is at eight and nine. It is going to be a battle, but I think we are going to get at least four points. That doesn't mean we will win, but I see us getting at least four."
