HAVERFORD, Pa. - The No. 31 Haverford College men's squash team (0-4, 0-1 LL) faced a setback against No. 21 St. Lawrence (4-2, 2-0 LL) on Saturday afternoon at the GIAC Squash Courts, concluding the home opener with an 8-1 defeat. This marked Haverford's inaugural Liberty League match since joining the conference as an associate member for squash this past summer.
St. Lawrence set the tone with the first four match wins, but Haverford secured its individual victory in the final contest of the afternoon. At the second flight, sophomore Aaryaman Jaising emerged victorious over Alexander Scott in a spirited back-and-forth battle. Jaising claimed the first game 11-8, and despite Scott's 11-3 win in the second, Jaising bounced back with an 11-8 triumph in the third. Scott responded with an 11-8 victory in the fourth, setting the stage for a tightly contested fifth game, which Jaising ultimately won 11-7 with the support of a boisterous home crowd. Jaising has now evened his career record at 12-12, playing largely against some of the toughest competition the CSA has to offer.
Throughout the lineup, the Fords engaged in competitive matches. Debutant Arvin Krishnan, playing at the eighth flight, pushed Gavin Cassidy to five games, securing the second and fourth games before Cassidy prevailed 11-7 in the decisive fifth. Sophomore Matt Sullivan, competing at the ninth flight, took his opponent to five games as well, winning the second and fourth games against Trey Denman before Denman secured the decisive fifth game with an 11-6 victory.
At the third flight, senior Peter Lehv claimed the second game against Harrison Callaway before the Saints player secured the match in four games (11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8).
Looking ahead, the Fords will return to action on December 2 for the annual Vassar Round Robin. Haverford will face No. 30 Connecticut College (1 p.m.) and Liberty League foe No. 32 Vassar (3 p.m.) in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., before breaking for the winter holidays.
The Fords' next home match is scheduled for January 25, 2024, against No. 25 Navy in a Thursday night battle at the GIAC Squash Courts (6 p.m.).