The men's squash team suffered a dose of déj? vu this weekend as it finished the NESCAC Tournament in sixth place after suffering an eerily similar repeat of its Dec. 6 loss to the Amherst Lord Jeffs.
Tufts went into the tournament with little uncertainty as to how the first few matches would end, looking ahead to a showdown with either Bowdoin or Amherst. And after wins over Wesleyan and Williams, the Jumbos got their shot at the Lord Jeffs but fell 5-4 for the second time this season in a heartbreaking match that the team feels could have gone either way.
"Obviously it was a big disappointment against Amherst," senior tri-captain Jake Gross said. "The first few matches went as planned, and the whole weekend really came down to the Amherst match. [Sophomore Scott Leighton] and [senior tri-captain Nelson Schubart] were both up, and [freshman Alex Gross] had match ball. We could have taken it, so on the whole the weekend was kind of a disappointment."
Indeed the match came down to several close decisions after others were locked up. Jake Gross and sophomore Zach Bradley each took their matches in overwhelming three-game victories, while sophomore John Subranni and freshman Ben Rind each fell in three.
The remaining five matches each came down to five games, in an uncannily even contest.
In the No. 2 spot for Tufts, Alex Gross took the first two games in his match and then dropped the third to head into the fourth game up 2-1. In that game, he had match point but ended up narrowly losing the game 10-8 and the match 3-2.
The five-game loss was Alex Gross' third of the weekend tournament, as he fell in similar fashion to Wesleyan and Williams.
"Alex had match ball against both Williams and Amherst," coach Doug Eng said. "Both were solid players, so it is impressive just to get to match ball. He is only a freshman and will only get better."
"I was really impressed with the way he played against seasoned guys ranked in the top 100 with both of those matches," Jake Gross added. "He had match ball, which proves that he can play at that next level. It was a success on the whole for him, but it's too bad he couldn't get one point in those two."
The first two days of the tournament were no surprise for anyone on the Jumbo squad. Tufts rolled into Hartford and topped Wesleyan 8-1 on Friday evening. The Jumbos then woke up Saturday to face off against Williams in a match the team knew it would have to be perfect in to win.
Although Tufts had several close matches, it could not squeak out key wins and dropped the match 7-2 to move into the consolation bracket.
To finish off the day on Saturday, Tufts handily dealt an 8-1 loss to Hamilton, moving to the Sunday match for fifth place in the tournament. In typical fashion, powerhouse Trinity swept through the tournament to come out on top and claim the tournament title.
Despite a lackluster finish as a whole, the weekend saw a few standout performances. Both Jake Gross and Bradley, at the top and bottom of the ladder respectively, posted perfect 4-0 weekends for the Jumbos.
"Both Jake and Zach played very, very well," Eng said. "They were on top of their games and you really can't ask for much more. For Jake, it's hard to beat him in-conference. There are only a couple who can. He has been playing a very mature game. Zach has been playing very well at nine as well. The difference between this year and last is he's mentally tougher. His drops are much more effective this year, and he is more consistent and mentally tough."
"I was incredibly impressed by Zach," Gross added. "He is playing very well and it showed. He executed well all weekend, stuck to the game plan and had substantial wins. His confidence is the main thing. He is also athletic - he is a lacrosse player so he's been using his speed and covering the court well."
Gross continues to impress as the Jumbos' top player, having cruised in straight sets in all four of his wins this weekend and bringing his individual record this season to 12-1. He is ranked No. 26 nationally as of the latest College Squash Association Poll Jan. 20.
"I have been pretty happy with the way I have been playing," Gross said. "I didn't really get pushed at all, and I was in good health, moving well and hitting the ball well so those matches went pretty much as well as they could have gone. I am excited for the Bates match Friday."
With the weekend over and a 2-2 stint in the NESCAC Tournament, the Jumbos bring their record to 7-6 and remain ranked No. 17 nationally. Tufts will play a pair of NESCAC matches against Bates, ranked No. 8, and Colby, ranked No. 25, this weekend, but first go head-to-head with No. 15 Brown tomorrow.
"This is really our last opportunity to beat a second division team, so hopefully we can go out and execute," Gross said. "We have had tough losses, so it would be good to turn out on the other side of that. Tomorrow we just need to work on getting balls out of the back and learning how to coast through a match and not force anything. If we keep our errors low hopefully we can come out with a W on Wednesday."
With Nine-Man Nationals looming on the horizon, Tufts needs to step up its play in order to qualify for the second division. With the divisions divided into groups of eight, teams ranked Nos. 9-16 qualify for the second division. Tufts has been hovering around the Nos. 16-20 rankings, so coming out on top against Brown and Bates might give the Jumbos the rankings boost they need.
