The team was led by co-captain Caroline Shannon '07 who played in the number one spot. Shannon won her match 3-0, setting the tone for the day. Securing wins in spots two, three and four were co-captain Emily O'Brien '07 and seniors Abby Mantica and Sarah Harper. Winning their first matches for Amherst, Emery Sweeney '07, Laurel LaMontagne '09, Melissa Moulton '09 and Hannah Merves '10 also added to the Jeffs' success. "The match on Wednesday was a really good season opener," said Shannon, "and the team dynamic has been really great this year."
LaMontagne believes that the squash team is a very cohesive group. "Everyone gets along really well," said Lamontagne. "The team is so small so you really get to know and interact with everyone on a daily basis."
Not only do the women get along, but they also maintain a positive mindset and a unified front. "We all watch each other play and support each other on and off the court," said Shannon. "We have to be able to focus on our own individual goals, but always keep the overall goals of the team in mind."
Everyone seems to be satisfied with the way that the team is coming together so far. With only three newcomers, the team entered the season with many experienced players. After the first match, it is clear that the new players have been well-prepared. "[Head] Coach [Tom] Carmean was really great at helping all of the new players understand the rules and strategies of the game," said Lamontagne, who played in and won her first match on Wednesday.
The lone first-year on the team, Hannah Merves, also won her first collegiate match on Wednesday. Merves is eager to build on the success of Wednesday's match. "Everyone did very well, and it was nice to start the season feeling strong and confident," said Merves.
Hard work and individual improvement seem to be what the team is aiming for this season. "We can be proud of ourselves no matter what as long as we are working our hardest," said Merves. Shannon expressed the same view when speaking about goals for the season. "Our expectations are just to keep improving," she said, "and hopefully playing hard every match will get us some good results." The Jeffs certainly took a leap towards fulfilling that goal against Northeastern.
The team is eager to play Tufts University this week. "We are really excited to play Tufts who is ranked close to us and is therefore a really critical match on Thursday," said Shannon. "Our match against Bowdoin [College] on Saturday will also be very important." It is only the very beginning of the season, and Amherst has many difficult matches ahead. However, if the Jeffs can utilize the confidence and experience gained over the past week, the season ahead should be quite exciting.
NESCAC Notes
Trinity College is currently third in the CSA rankings, and is leading the NESCAC. Williams College follows in the NESCAC rankings as second place and is seventh in the CSA. Bates, Bowdoin and Colby Colleges are ranked 10th, 11th and 12th in the CSA and third, fourth, and fifth in the NESCAC, respectively, is not far behind Hamilton.