Men’s Squash is Servin’ Heat

Returning from break on Jan. 5, the 20th-ranked men’s squash team defeated 21st-ranked Williams by a tight 5-4 margin. The Panthers claimed victories in the first two spots from first-year Justin Ghaeli and junior Jacob Ellen and took three more points with wins from first-year Teddy Best, sophomore Wiatt Hinton, and junior John Epley. Ghaeli clinched the match with a three-game victory at the No. 2 spot. 

Coming off of that strong victory, the squad dominated their four following matches this past weekend. They eased passed Amherst on the road on January 11 with a 7-2 score. Freshman Nate Moll pulled out a tight five-game win at No. 8, and Ghaeli clinched his match with a swift three-game take down. 

The team returned to Middlebury on Saturday, Jan. 12 to host Bowdoin and Colby. The Panthers did not lose a single match against either team, claiming 9-0 victories against both. Then, to round out their successful weekend, the hosts dominated Bates by an 8-1 margin. Jacob Ellen clinched the match at No. 2 with a three-game win. 

Coming off of these wins, the team enters this coming weekend holding a five-match winning streak. 

They will face 30th-ranked Hamilton at home on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and then travel to Cambridge, MA to play 15th-ranked Brown on Saturday. 

With a 7-2 overall record, the squad pushes into the second half of the season with building momentum and optimistic eyes on the upcoming NESCAC Championships, set to be hosted at home in the Bostwick Family Squash center over the first weekend of February.