Crimson Men Hammer Bulldogs

It was a night of joy and sorrow for the Harvard men’s squash team. With hopes of an Ivy title dashed due to a loss to Princeton on February 11, the Crimson looked to end the Ivy League season on a high note.

For the seven seniors who are departing after this season, a victory over conference rival Yale, while not as fulfilling as the Ivy championship, still brings a smile to their faces. With two days remaining before squash nationals, the Crimson proved its preparedness to the nation with a 7-2 victory over the Bulldogs (11-4, 3-3 Ivy).

“This game is good preparation for us for the nationals,” senior Siddharth Suchde said. “It shows what level we are after Princeton and after losing whether we can regroup. It sends a message to the other teams saying that Harvard is back. It is very important.”

The desire to prove the team’s strength and readiness before nationals especially came through in the final match.

With the Harvard (7-2, 5-1 Ivy) win already secured, senior Todd Ostrow, playing in the ninth matchup and down two games to one, would not relinquish the match to his opponent, fighting until the game turned in his favor. As teammates and the home crowd cheered him on, the senior battled back from the depths, grabbing two straight games to win 5-9, 9-7, 3-9, 10-8, 9-5.

“For me, it was the last time some of the guys will play Yale, the last time we will play at home, it was really important to come away with the win,” Ostrow said. “It was important, going into the weekend to kind of show what we’ve got.”

Classmates Suchde and team captain Ilan Oren also claimed definitive victories for the Crimson. Suchde, after dropping his first match in two years against Princeton, overpowered Yale senior Nick Chirls. In the top matchup, Suchde quickly won in straight games 9-3, 9-0, 9-3.

Oren provided an equally impressive win over junior Max Samuel, also in straight games, 9-1, 9-2, 9-0.

Freshman Colin West, whom Suchde described as “a promising individual,” seemed ready to step into the big shoes left by the upperclassmen. The freshman, who has not lost a match this season, played in the third game of the meet. West easily overcame sophomore Francis Johnson in straight matches, winning 9-7, 9-3, 9-1.

“I definitely think he is going to be a force to reckon with, not only in the Ivies, but nationally,” Suchde said.

Freshman Todd Ruth and junior Moshe Sarfaty provided the only wins for Yale. In the eighth game, Ruth faced sophomore Verdi DiSesa in a hard fought contest, eventually coming out on top with a 9-7, 4-9, 9-5, 9-2 victory. In the fifth match, Sarfaty defeated junior Mihir Sheth to claim a 9-2, 9-7, 9-4 win.

Even though conference play has ended, the men’s team still has work to tend to. After claiming a definitive victory at home, Harvard, on Friday and Saturday, will attempt to repeat its performance in New Haven, the site of the College Squash Association Team Championships. The commanding win over the Bulldogs will give the Crimson momentum heading into nationals this weekend, but the team remains cautious of becoming too complacent.

“I think that’s what happened against Princeton, we were very laid back,” Suchde said. “I think that loss did us a lot of good in a way. It was like a wake up call. Now we are all really focused; there is no reason to be overconfident.”

—Staff writer Vincent R. Oletu can be reached at oletu@fas.harvard.edu.