Men's Squash | Jumbos upset Hamilton, fall to No. 18 Bowdoin

    It's often said that the scoreboard doesn't always accurately reflect the game, and such was the case last weekend for the men's squash team. Competing in the College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championships in the Summers C Division, the nationally ranked No. 22 Jumbos' run reflected their turbulent season as they upset Hamilton before suffering a close defeat in a hotly contested match against Bowdoin and ending the weekend with a disappointing consolation loss against Colby. Although the 9-12 Jumbos experienced trials on the court, the squad holds resolve in its team's talent, depth and ability to overcome the odds.
    Leading off the CSA Team Championships on Friday, Tufts marked one of the first upsets of the tournament with its 6-3 decision over its first-round, non-conference rival Hamilton, a team it had not faced in the regular season. The nationally ranked No. 19 Continentals were stiff competition for the Jumbos, extending five of their matches into four and five games. No. 1 sophomore Alex Gross and No. 9 senior tri-captain Josh Levinson exchanged wins and losses with their Hamilton opponents until finally securing 9-5 and 10-9 victories in their fifth games, respectively. In the middle of the lineup, sophomore Ben Rind lost two straight before rallying to win in five, while at the back end the Jumbos finished off the Continentals with decisive three-game wins by No. 6 junior Scott Leighton and senior tri-captain Chris Martin in the No. 7 spot.
    "Hamilton took a beating this weekend," Martin said. "They were off their game and were hitting a lot of errors. The bottom of Hamilton's lineup wasn't as strong as ours; they don't have the same depth that we do. They were a strong team … but we were hungry for a win."
    "We were incredibly driven in the last few weeks," junior Max Dalury added. "It came down to effort and motivation. We're really proud of ourselves because no one has given us credit for the solid team that we are."
    After finishing off their first-round foe, the Jumbos expected to carry their momentum into the semifinals against No. 18 Bowdoin. But in a hard-fought 5-4 contest, the Polar Bears iced the Jumbos, though Tufts' performance was still a far cry from its showing in the 7-2 loss to Bowdoin earlier this month. In their rematches, junior Zach Bradley, Martin, senior tri-captain Brian Rassel and Levinson secured victories in Nos. 4, 7, 8 and 9 positions. And despite recording a loss at the No. 1 position, Gross forced five games after falling behind 2-0.
    "My Bowdoin opponent kept me on my toes," Gross said. "The first two matches killed me, but … I picked up the pace and cut off shots to put him under pressure … In the fifth game … I was trying to push him around the court so that he would make errors. It worked well; I was up 6-5, but he got in a couple good shots on me, beating me 9-6. It was a heartbreaker."
    On Sunday, the Jumbos faced off against No. 17 Colby in the consolation match of the Summers Division Championship. Coming off the crushing loss the day before, the Jumbos looked to end their season by avenging a January loss in the NESCAC tournament to the Mules. But unfortunately for Tufts, a combination of the weekend's wear and tear and Colby's command of the court prevented the team from escaping the jaws of defeat. While six Jumbos extended their matches into four and five games, only three — Rind, Levinson and Rassel — secured victories.
    "We couldn't wear down Colby as much as our other opponents," Martin said. "Their skills matched up with ours, so they were able to pull it out … We proved to a lot of people what we could do, and overall, I'm happy in how it turned out."
    This upcoming weekend, the Jumbos will send Gross to Williams College to compete in the CSA Individual Championships, marking his second appearance in the tournament. Ranked at 38th in the country last year, Gross exited in the first round but found more success in the consolation bracket, where he advanced to the quarterfinals before dropping three straight sets to the bracket's eventual champion. After a physically demanding tournament, Gross remains cautiously optimistic heading into the Individual Championships.
    "I lost in five twice, so it's been a tough weekend," Gross said. "Going into next weekend, I'm going to have a tough draw because of some early-season losses that will affect my ranking. In the first round, I'm just looking to stay on target, but if that doesn't work out, my goal is to make a run in the consolation bracket."