Especially promising were the performances of first-years Drew Blacker, Gautam Kalani, Ben Bishop and Jerome Giovinazzo. "This year, the [first-years] are going to be critical," said senior tri-captain Tyler Mixter. "We have four [first-years] contending for positions on the top nine, one of whom [Blacker] is playing number one. That in mind, I think that our season will depend in large part on how well the [first-years] perform."
Indeed, Blacker, Kalani and Bishop-who manned the first, seventh and ninth courts, respectively, for the Jeffs in the opening match at Northeastern-performed competently, while Giovinazzo was the only Jeff to come away with a win against Trinity at the number-nine spot. In his debut match, Giovinazzo swept Trinity's James Boothby, 9-1, 9-3, 9-4. He was not only the sole Jeff to win his match, but also one of only three Amherst players to take even a game from the Bantams. Against Northeastern, Blacker and Bishop gave up a paltry two points to their Husky opponents; both won with scores of 9-1, 9-1, 9-0. Kalani's 9-1, 9-3, 9-3 drubbing of Husky Clayton Quarrles was similarly dominant.
"I was quite pleased with the way the team performed at Northeastern, since none of us dropped even a game," said Kalani. He added modestly, "However, the squash program at Northeastern is still very young, and their team is still quite inexperienced." Indeed, this season marks the first ever that Northeastern is fielding a varsity squad.
The experience of the Amherst veterans overpowered their Northeastern foes up and down the ladder. No Jeff dropped a game, and the Huskies won precious few points. The most dominant victory came courtesy of sophomore Andrew Slutsky, who goose-egged Darius Wilsey on the eighth court (9-0, 9-0, 9-0). Seven of nine Jeffs won at least one 9-0 game, and the most points anyone ceded in a game was five.
Although the Jeffs didn't have to be at their best to come away with a victory, they felt that their play was extremely promising at this early juncture. "I think we all played well for our first match at Northeastern," said Blacker, though he added that a higher level of play would certainly be needed against Trinity. "It was a good way to start the season," added Mixter.
In addition to allowing the Amherst squad to fine-tune its play before facing tougher opponents, the Northeastern contest also functioned as a reunion of sorts. Gifford Sommerkamp '05 and Piercarlo Valdesolo '03 are assistant coaches for the Huskies, and having friendly faces within the opposition's ranks made the lopsided match more enjoyable.
Less pleasurable was last night's loss to Trinity. The Bantams haven't dropped a match since 1998 and are looking to defend the national title with their eighth-straight championship in 2006. "As long as we give them a good match I think it would be a success," said Blacker beforehand.
Last season, the entire Trinity team lost only nine individual dual matches, which makes Giovinazzo's win even more impressive. Mixter and junior Craig McCready, playing on the fourth and eighth courts, each took a game from their opponents, and no Jeff lost a game 9-0. Given the Bantams' pedigree, these results are as much reason for optimism as the Northeastern win.
Amherst has one more chance to tweak its performance before Winter Break and the more competitive matches begin. Tonight the Jeffs face the 17th-ranked Tufts University Jumbos in a match that should bear similarities to the Northeastern contest. The season kicks into a higher gear on Jan. 10-11, as Amherst takes a Maine road trip to Bates and Bowdoin Colleges, the 12th- and 14th-best teams in the country, respectively. Junior tri-captain Auloke Mathur, who is abroad for the fall semester, will be back just in time for the matches that matter.
"Overall, the general attitude is a lot more positive and relaxed than in past years, and hopefully that tone will translate into confidence on court," said junior Stu Landesberg. "With our new freshmen and some key losses on teams around us, Amherst could move up into the top eight in the nation this year, which definitely gives us reason to work hard and be optimistic."
A spot in the top eight would put Amherst into the elite college squash ranks and also into the "A" Potter division at the CSA National Championships. With so few teams in the nation (squash is not separated into divisions), the difference a few rankings make is enormous.