HAVERFORD, Pa. - The No. 30 Haverford College men's squash team (3-4) was defeated by No. 28 Wesleyan (4-5) by a 7-2 final score at the GIAC Squash Courts on Friday afternoon. Haverford received its individual match wins from junior co-captain Fitz Dougherty at the second flight, and first-year Quinton Crawford at the fourth position.
Haverford got an immediate tally in its corner as Quinton Crawford won the first match to reach completion, overwhelming his opponent at the fourth flight. Competing against a strong challenger in William Bienstock, the first-year showcased the strength of Haverford's lineup in a resounding 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 victory, turning away the Cardinals in the early goings.
The other two matches in the first round were also instant classics, with Scott Ji edging Nathan Wang at the seventh flight to knot the overall match score at 1-1. Wang outlasted Ji in a thrilling 12-10 first game, and also grabbed a victory in extra points (12-10) in the fourth game, tying up the individual match after falling in extra points in the third. The final game of the sequence went to Wesleyan, but not before Wang proved to be a force in the latter third of the lineup.
Davis Chase then locked horns with Sean Choi at the top flight, and the two delivered arguably the most thrilling stanza of the afternoon, as Choi slipped past the Haverford co-captain in a marathon 19-17 first game. Choi built his lead with an 11-8 second game victory, but Chase got the upper hand in an 11-4 decision in the third. Unfortunately for Haverford, Choi took an 11-7 victory in the fourth game to close out the captivating battle.
The last match of the day to finish went to the Fords as Dougherty grabbed a hard-fought sweep over John Sutherby at the second flight. Dougherty worked hard in an 11-8 first game, and then pulled to the brink of a match win with a relatively simple 11-5 victory in the second. The third game enthralled the audience on hand as the two players went back-and-forth trading salvos on court three, with Dougherty eventually running his overall career record to an impressive 32-and-8 with a 13-11 victory.
Elsewhere for the Fords, senior co-captain Tate Miller was engaged in a four-game battle with Shanay Sanghavi at the third flight, as the physical contest went to Wesleyan only after Miller prevailed in the second game by an 11-9 final.
Haverford was hosting Wesleyan for the first time in program history, although the two sides are no stranger to recent meetings, as the Cardinals posted a 2-0 record against Haverford a season ago while the Fords took a 6-3 win at the 2018 Pioneer Valley Invite.
With Saturday's action slated for Fordham postponed due to impending winter weather, Haverford will next be in action on Saturday, January 25 at the Pioneer Valley Invitational. Haverford will face off with No. 38 Hobart (3 p.m.) and No. 37 Bard (7 p.m.) on the campus of Amherst College.