The No. 8 men's squad (7-3, 0-2 Ivy) easily dispatched the No. 15 Amherst team 9-0. Co-captain Andrew Boumford '09 played in the number one position and defeated his opponent, Drew Blacker, 9-2, 9-3 and 9-1.
Michael Lewis '11 and Luke Lee '12, playing in the fourth and ninth spots, respectively, both lost their first games yet came back strong to win each of their next three and take the matches.
The team delivered a solid finish, an outcome the players anticipated before the match.
The comfortable victory was reflected in each set as well as the final score.
Co-captain Tyler Young '09 felt satisfied with the team's concentration when facing the weaker opponents.
"We were expected to beat them pretty easily," he said. "It was nice that it worked out. I think it was good to see everyone focusing, every point in every match. It always is tough to focus against a team that you're supposed to beat."
Head coach John Power stressed that the players also refined their game.
"I was particularly pleased with the guys," he said. "Sometimes we get caught up with the unforced errors, but they made very few errors in these matches."
Both Boumford and Young look forward to the rest of the season yet expect stiff competition from powerhouse Trinity College this weekend.
The Trinity squad has won ten consecutive national championships, and has not lost a single match over that period.
"We're definitely intimidated, but I think we have the best squash team in Dartmouth history right now," Boumford said. "I think we could make history. I'm very optimistic."
"Trinity on Saturday is going to be tough," Young said. "It's going to be a little different than [the Amherst contest]. I think everyone's definitely prepared, but I don't know if we're ready for what's coming. It'll be a tough match but I think that so far, we've already had some pretty tough matches and succeeded."
Boumford reiterated that the team's winning attitude and unrelenting resolve have been crucial to their successes thus far.
"We've been training hard all season, maintaining our fitness and just working on our games all around," he said. "We had a good team bonding experience in Toronto."
Dartmouth's No.8 women's team (4-2, 0-2 Ivy) also overtook the No. 17 Amherst squad by a clear 9-0 margin. Led by Hannah Conant '11 in the number one spot, the squad did not lose a single game.
Co-captain Libbey Brown '10 hopes that the women's team will capitalize on the momentum of their win against Amherst.
The next few contests will prove to be decisive in determining the Big Green's national rank, as both No.9 Williams University and No. 10 Brown are vying against Dartmouth for the eighth standing.
"Some of the most important matches of our seasons are coming up," Brown said. "We play Williams next Wednesday, and that's a huge match for us because the outcome of that match will probably determine whether or not we are in the top eight. It's basically Dartmouth, Williams and Brown."
Brown attributed Dartmouth's sound finish against Amherst to the team's comraderie and overall progress throughout the season. She said she felt the team's determination will bring them success in the upcoming matches.
"We've been preparing for it all season," she said. "I think when it comes time to play, we will be ready, and it's going to be a lot of fun."
Power said he was also pleased with the entire lineup's performance.
"Everybody played very well," he said. "The women didn't have quite the same competition as the men, yet they handled the situation very well."
Dartmouth's men's and women's squash teams will host Trinity College at 11 a.m. this Saturday.
