The sun has set on the 2002-2003 squash season, and although both Dartmouth teams might have had higher aspirations for their championship play, each squad finished the year with impressive records and national recognition.
During the weekend of February 14-16, the lady squashers found themselves gunning for a national championship at the annual Howe Cup held at Yale. In a tough first round game, the Big Green fell to Penn by a score of 5-4. Although Dartmouth had beat the Quakers just a week earlier, they couldn't quite score a win in this contest, but it was a nailbiter until the final point.
The lady squashers were able to bounce back, however, with a dominating 8-1 win over the Brown squad the next day, leaving them in prime position for a fifth-place match against their nemesis, the Princeton Tigers. February 16 was a great day for the Dartmouth women's squash program, as the team defeated Princeton by a score of 5-4. In a tight match, the Big Green pulled out their first victory over the Tigers since 1987.
Senior captain Charlotte Haldeman said that the win over Princeton "was a great accomplishment for the team, and it felt great to finally beat them after 16 years!" The lady squashers finished a very successful season with a fifth-place showing at the Howe Cup, and they are looking forward to a great season next year as well.
The Big Green men traveled to Philadelphia last weekend to battle for the squash national championship, but their trip was a bit less fruitful. Seeded eighth in the top bracket of the tournament, Dartmouth knew it would have to overcome strong odds and even stronger teams to advance, but they still fought valiantly in each of their three matches.
The Big Green opened the weekend with a tough 9-0 loss at the hands of defending national champion Trinity. Dartmouth met a talented five seed in Western Ontario on Saturday, but they fell just short of a victory, with a heartbreaking 5-4 loss. It was a close match, but in the end, Western Ontario had just a bit too much for the Big Green. With this loss, Dartmouth would next face Penn for a shot at seventh place in the country, but again, the team fell just short of victory with a tough 6-3 loss on Sunday.
Captain Jesse Nisselson '04 had this to say about the losses: "This weekend was a bit disappointing, being that we lost all three matches. Overall, for the team up north, the season was damn good. We finished eighth in the nation, which is a real accomplishment considering we lost so many talented seniors last year." Nisselson went on to be quite optimistic about next year's squad as he noted that the team "is getting Nate Weinstein, a top-notch squash recruit."
Sophomore sharp-shooter Tim Vipond said "we finished our season in the top bracket, which is what we hoped for." Squashers can take heart, though, that there is always next season to look forward to. The Big Green finished up the season at eighth in the country, and as Nisselson said, next year should be off the hook.
All in all, it was a great winter for the budding Dartmouth squash dynasty. Each team finished up among the nation's top ten, and each team will roll into next year's competition with steam and conviction. They have something to prove next year, so watch out, it's gonna be red hot.
