The Drexel men’s and women’s squash teams headed to Connecticut this past weekend to face four New England schools with historically competitive programs. A weekend of continuous travel turned out to be a weekend of perfection, as the Dragons went a combined 8-0, with the men’s and women’s teams picking up four wins apiece. The fact that the Drexel squash program was established in 2011 makes this weekend and the quality of these wins much more significant.
The Dragons competed Jan. 24 against Bowdoin College, whose squash program has been around since 1976. The women’s team won 7-2, while the men’s team — which never seems to disappoint when it comes to a breathtaking finale — managed to pull away with a 5-4 victory in a last-match tiebreaker.
“The men’s team was a little shaky to start,” head coach John White said. “Our No. 7, Nat Fry, was able to come through and pick a big win for us in four sets.”
On Jan. 25, the Dragons competed in two matches as they traveled to Middletown, Conn., to face the Pioneers of Wesleyan College. Their squash program has been established since 1940. The women dominated yet again, claiming an 8-1 victory while the men won a 5-4 thriller for the second day in a row.
With the score knotted up 4-4, the Dragons turned to No. 1 Justin Singh. The senior won the first set but lost the next two. With the match on the line and the team needing his point to clinch the victory, Singh rallied back to take the final two sets, winning the Dragons’ fifth point and capping off another Drexel victory.
The team then headed to New Haven, Conn., to compete in another match Jan. 26 against Colby College. The match took place at Yale University, and the women were quick to get things started with another commanding performance, downing the White Mules in an 8-1 victory. The men had to rebound from a 2-0 deficit, and they came back to claim a 7-2 decision, winning the final seven matches.
Finally, the men’s and women’s teams traveled to Connecticut College to close out their weekend of competition. Both the men and women were able to pick up wins in convincing fashion, as the women swept 9-0 and the men won 8-1.
“This weekend the women performed very well, and that gave the entire team a great boost,” White said.
It is important to note that before this weekend, both teams had losing records. After their dominant performances traveling up the East Coast, they now have winning records and are ranked in the top 15 in the country.
The Dragons continued their success as they returned home to face Haverford College Jan. 30. Both the men’s and women’s teams swept the Fords by a score of 9-0. Drexel will close out its season at home as the teams face George Washington University Feb. 2.
“It’s always nice to finish the season on our home turf,” White said. “With the Nationals only a few weeks away, we need to approach these matches like everything is on line.”