MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - In a Saturday matinee featuring four five-game matches, the No. 31 Haverford College men's squash team (2-6) faced a challenging defeat against the host No. 29 Wesleyan (5-8), with a final score of 9-0. Despite the apparent margin, the thrilling contest was much closer than the scoreline suggests.
A noteworthy match unfolded at the eighth flight between Daniel Braun and Zachary Idinopulos. In an intense fifth game, Idinopulos outlasted Braun with a final score of 27-25, securing a crucial point for Wesleyan.
The first round of matches showcased competitions at the second, fifth, and ninth flights. Setting the tone for the afternoon, Aaryaman Jaising engaged in a five-game battle with Abhinav Gupta. After splitting the first two games, Jaising pulled ahead with an 11-5 win in the third, but Gupta responded with 11-3 and 11-7 victories, earning a point for the Cardinals.
At the fifth flight, Ben Schiltz took the first two games from Preston Crawford with finals of 11-4 and 11-9. However, Crawford made a comeback with 11-5, 15-13, and 11-9 wins, putting his squad up 2-0.
In another gripping match at the ninth flight, Francis Betkowski faced Jack Lungstrum. Betkowski secured the first two games at 11-6 and 12-0, but Lungstrum bounced back with 11-5 and 11-8 wins. In the decisive fifth game, Lungstrum prevailed 14-12, giving Wesleyan a 3-0 lead despite Haverford's substantial challenge.
Ethan Yan defeated Kai Schinaman in straight games at the third flight, and Morgan Shatzman swept Qianzhi Shao at the sixth, clinching the overall match for Wesleyan. Attention then shifted to the Braun-Idinopulos matchup at the eighth flight.
Idinopulos initially dominated the first two games, but Braun turned the tide with an 11-8 win, setting up the decisive fifth game. In a foreshadowing of the thrilling finish, Braun secured a 12-10 extra points victory in the fourth game.
The marathon fifth game saw Braun and Idinopulos exchanging points, with Braun seemingly having an answer for every Wesleyan salvo. The score reached a remarkable 25-25 before Idinopulos delivered two consecutive points, sealing the victory.
At the top flight, Noah Tunis won the first game 11-9 over Toby Goldston, but Goldston responded with 11-9, 11-4, 11-4 victories to capture the overall victory. Dhairya Shah swept past Peter Lehv at number four (11-2, 11-7, 11-6), and Cole Zetterquist defeated Arvin Krishnan at the seventh flight (11-6, 13-11, 11-5).
In the exhibition match, Sumer Ahluwalia prevailed over Garret Fantini with an 11-6, 11-3, 11-5 final score.
Haverford will return to action at home on Thursday night, January 25, taking on No. 21 Navy at the GIAC Squash Courts. The action will commence at 6 p.m. with live video coverage from all five courts, and live scoring accessible via HaverfordAthletics.com.