HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's squash team got a perfect 2-0 performance from its top two players in the ladder on Saturday against Bucknell and Boston College. Although the Fords controlled the top of the ladder, both the Bison and Eagles were able to escape the GIAC Squash Courts with 6-3 wins.
Playing at No. 1, Isabelle Gotuaco opened her day with a hard-fought 3-2 win against Boston College's top player. After taking the opening game in convincing fashion, Gotuaco was forced to rally after dropping games two and three. She went into a second game tiebreak with the opportunity to go up 2-0, but was denied by a 12-10 final. Undeterred, she avoided extra points in the final two games to close out the match with 11-7 and 11-8 wins.
She capped her day with a four-game win against Bucknell. She allowed just 13 points in the three games she won, including an 11-2 fourth game victory to clinch the win. Her only setback against the Bison came in the tightest game of her second match, which went 11-9 in favor of Bucknell.
At No. 2, Bethany Simmonds dropped just one game en route to her perfect 2-0 afternoon. She started her day with a sweep of her Boston College foe. After jumping out in front early with identical 11-6 wins in the first two games, she would have to seal the victory with the tightest game played during the entire afternoon. Tied at 13-all, Simmonds took the final two points to claim a 15-13 advantage and the second ladder position for the Fords. Simmonds again jumped in front 2-0 against Bucknell. This time she used identical 11-7 scores to get the early advantage. After a third game setback, Simmonds let the match get no closer with an 11-8 win in game four.
Playing at No. 5, Emily Berlin also won her match to start the day against Boston College. Her victory came in a convincing sweep. The toughest game she faced in the match with Boston College came in the middle when she emerged a 14-12 winner. She sandwiched 11-6 and 11-8 victories around the middle game for the victory.
During the match against Bucknell, Isabel Agnew bounced back from a tough four game defeat to start her day. She rebounded quite nicely with the most resounding win of the day for the Fords. The Fords' No. 4 player allowed just seven points to her Bucknell opponent in the first two games and closed the match out with a decisive 11-6 win. Haverford also had its chances to pull out the necessary team points as it had players tied at one-all in the fifth and sixth positions on the ladder. Berlin took her second game against Bucknell at No. 5, while Grace Fioramonti-Gorchow was victorious in her first game at No. 6 before each dropped tough four game bouts.
Women's squash will now head out on the road next weekend as the team travels to Dickinson for three matches on Saturday. In addition to host Dickinson, the Fords will battle Johns Hopkins and Rochester during the Round Robin play.