Men’s squash (1-1, 1-0 NESCAC) opened its home courts in style with an exciting doubleheader against Cornell and Hamilton on Nov. 18. The team was excited to start the 2023-24 season, and co-captain Andrew Minnis ’25 said that the team already showed “major signs of improvement” and that he was “proud of the team for rallying against Hamilton.” Minnis, Alex Akbari ’26, and Charles Merrill ’24 were first up against Cornell. The Ephs put up good fights but ultimately fell in three games to talented players.
Co-captain Will Evans ’24 was next up for the Ephs. He lost a close first game 14-12 and won the third 11-8, but eventually, Evans lost his match 3-1 overall. John Nicholson ’26 had a close match against his opponent but couldn’t clinch the win and lost 3-2. Leonard Lee ’26 had the only win of the day, winning 3-0 against his opponent with some smart and diligent plays. In the last round against Cornell, Asher Leavy ’26 faced a talented player and lost in a hard-fought three games. Nick Agger ’27 had an extremely tough match, winning the first two games but losing 3-2 against an opponent who utilized every trick he had to win. Lastly, Hudson Lin ’27 had a close four-game match, with several games going to 10-10, but he fell to a talented player 3-1, leaving the final game score 8-1 in favor of Cornell.
A few hours later, the team rallied and faced off against Hamilton. The Ephs had a solid showing down the ladder, not dropping a single game. First up for the Ephs were Minnis, Akbari, and Merrill. Minnis and Merrill won in three games against their opponents using their good ball control, and Akbari stayed cool and collected, even when his opponent made some impressive shots, to win in three as well. Evans, Nicholson, and Rafay Syed ’26 quickly followed suit, also winning in straight decisive games.
Last on the court for the day were Leavy, Agger, and Lin. Leavy and Lin both made quick work of their opponents and then gathered around court two to watch the end of Agger’s match. Even though Hamilton’s Tobey Stuart made some worthy shots — earning the honor of Collegiate Squash Association Shot of the Month — Agger won out in three, leaving the final score 9-0. A special mention also goes out to Will Comyns ’24, who had a brilliant exhibition match against a familiar opponent at the 12th seed.
The Ephs finished strong, ending their home debut match in relatively high spirits and looking to bounce back from their defeat against Cornell even stronger. Their next match is on Dec. 2, when they will face Princeton on the road.
