HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College Men's Squash team, ranked 31st in the College Squash Association (2-7), faced a tough challenge against No. 21 Navy (12-9) on Thursday evening at the GIAC Squash Courts, ultimately succumbing to a 6-3 defeat. Despite a valiant effort, the Fords couldn't secure the victory after starting the day with a 2-0 lead due to defaults by Navy in the eighth and ninth flights.
As the matches unfolded, Navy quickly overcame the early deficit, securing wins at the third and fifth flights. Alexander Orr triumphed in straight games over Kai Schinaman (11-7, 11-5, 11-8), while Sean Wu bested Ben Schiltz at the fifth flight (11-1, 11-4, 11-7). The Fords regained momentum, taking a 3-2 lead after the first round as Arvin Krishnan completed a reverse sweep at the seventh flight.
Despite falling behind against Holden Woodward, Krishnan turned the tables with an 11-3 win, followed by a hard-fought 12-10 decision, setting the stage for a decisive fifth game. Krishnan prevailed 11-8, securing a crucial point for Haverford.
In a closely contested 56-minute battle at the second flight, Aaryaman Jaising seemed poised to defeat Lucas Sprio. After splitting the first two games, Jaising took an 11-7 decision in the third game. Unfortunately, Spiro managed to evade Jaising in the fifth game, winning 11-7 and tying the overall match score at 3-3.
In the same round of matches, Ramsay Killinger defeated Qianzhi Zhao at the sixth flight (11-9, 11-5, 11-2), while Peter Lehv fell short to Tighe Mullarkey despite a valiant third-game effort (11-9, 11-5, 11-2) at the fourth.
With the overall match secured for Navy, the intrigue continued on the courts as Noah Tunis faced Henry Sparkman at the top flight in another five-game thriller, taking over an hour to complete.
Tunis won the first game 11-3, but Sparkman responded, with fourth and fifth game wins, ultimately securing a 13-11 triumph in the fifth game, marking the sixth and final individual win of the night for the Midshipmen.
This matchup marked the Naval Academy's sixth visit to the GIAC Squash Courts and the second consecutive season these two squads have clashed, as Navy also visited Haverford on January 19, 2023.
Men's Squash will return to action on Saturday for a doubleheader against No. 38 Bucknell (10:30 a.m.) and Liberty League rival No. 32 Vassar (3:30 p.m.) at the GIAC Squash Courts. The matches will be Haverford's Play With Pride matchups, and the afternoon contest will include Senior Day recognition for Peter Lehv, Ali Nurkhaidarov, and Ben Schiltz before the first serve with the Brewers.