For the men's squash team, this season has been as much about developing young players and gaining experience as it has been about competing for victories. The rebuilding year will culminate tomorrow through Sunday at the National Team Championships at Princeton University — only this time, the Jumbos expect to win.
At Nationals, teams are seeded in groups of eight into seven divisions in an effort to ease the disparity between the top teams on the East Coast and the rest of the country. That means that a difference of one spot in the national rankings can be the difference between a top seed and a bottom seed.
The Jumbos — who are riding high after consecutive wins against the Huskies and the Golden Eagles last week — narrowly avoided crossing that line, receiving the number one seed in the Conroy Division, the fourth−best division at the tournament. The draw is filled out by many teams the Jumbos have already defeated this season, and, as a result, the team is feeling confident it will hoist the Conroy Cup.
"It would be great to beat some of these teams more handily than we did to give ourselves more breathing room [in the final rankings]," junior Andrew Meleney said.
The Jumbos' first opponent will be the Engineers, the No. 8 seed in the division. Tufts bested MIT earlier in the season 7−2, and the team expects Friday afternoon's matchup to play out similarly.
"We should definitely beat them," freshman Hugo Meggitt said. "It would be a very big disappointment if we lost."
Tufts' stiffest competition will most likely be Hobart College, the No. 2 seed in the Conroy Division. In a Jan. 22 matchup, the Jumbos were on the ropes against the Statesmen at the Amherst Round Robin, but they wound up with a forfeit victory when Hobart's top player vomited near the end of his match.
The Jumbos will be looking for a chance to validate themselves and secure a more traditional victory this time around.
"It was probably the most ridiculous match of the season," freshman Gordon Silverman said. "But last time we were a little bit sick and had some injuries, so this time it will be more in our favor if everyone plays well."
Tufts is also seeking redemption for its loss in the Conroy Division in last year's semifinals, where it was ousted by Conn. College. That defeat was Tufts' first time losing in the Conroy Division, and this time around they are heading into proceedings with an almost entirely new cast of characters.
Much has been said this season about the Jumbos' youth, with five freshmen playing major roles in the lineup. But with nearly a full season under their belts, the freshmen know it's time to step up.
"I'm not worried at all," Silverman said. "I'm just pretty excited."
Meggitt, who grew up in Princeton and played on many of the courts there, may be aided by a home−court advantage. But that doesn't mean he won't be feeling butterflies.
"I'm sure I'll be more nervous than in a regular match because I've never been to nationals before," he said. "It's another level up from a typical match."
For the freshmen, the trip to nationals will be a chance to season themselves on college squash's biggest stage.
"They have nothing to lose and everything to prove," Meleney said. "They know they've got three more years to improve, so this is a year to set the base."
For Silverman, the pressure stems largely from a desire to send off seniors Henry Miller, Eli Borek and Christopher Stoj on a high note.
"It would be a great way to send them out," Silverman said. "Anything less than total victory would be a disappointment."
