The fourth-seeded Amherst men powered through the quarterfinals as they faced the number-five Polar Bears from Bowdoin College (ranked 17th in the nation), eventually taking the round 6-3. It was a hard-fought victory for the Jeffs, with three of the six victories on the Amherst side of the scoreboard going beyond three games.
In the number one spot, senior Auloke Mather overcame a close 9-10 loss to eventually defeat his challenger 9-10, 9-5, 9-0, 9-3. Just a spot down the ladder, sophomore Drew Blacker triumphed in an even more dramatic fashion, conceding two nail-biting games to Polar Bear Matt Dresher before surging back to take the match in five games.
"Bowdoin was a different team than the one we beat easily early in the season," said senior Stuart Landesberg. "They have had some good wins and had a lot of confidence right out of the gate, but ultimately I don't think that anyone doubted that we would still take care of them. Against Bowdoin, we won at numbers 1-4 in a 6-3 overall victory. We have traditionally not been as strong at the top of our lineup, but this result shows that this year we are competitive at every spot which will be a real asset to us down the stretch."
Counting the Bowdoin victory, the Jeffs were enjoying a three-game winning streak as they headed into the semifinals to play Trinity. Coasting on a record of 159 consecutive victories, the Bantams are widely known to have the best squash players in the country. In a 9-0 loss, the Jeffs were eliminated from the competition, settling in fourth place, on par with their seed in the tournament. Both Landesberg, playing in the number four spot, and Blacker put in notable performances in their first games, with Blacker forcing his opponent to a 9-7 score, and Landesberg taking his Bantam counterpart to a 10-8 score. Ultimately, however, the Bantams underscored their nationwide number one ranking by taking each match 3-0, and the Jeffs' record fell to 6-6 on the season. However, the Jeffs look upon their loss to Trinity with a positive attitude.
"Playing Trinity is always fun and an opportunity to play a great player with nothing at all on the line," Landesberg said. "[Junior] Andrew Slutsky had a notable weekend at number 10, cruising easily past all of his opponents, even against Trinity. Good play at the bottom of the ladder is always a positive sign for the future."
With the end of the season drawing near, the Jeffs are ramping up their game to prepare for the challenges ahead. The Little Three Championships at Williams await next weekend, followed by a match against Bates, and then the CSA team and individual championships only a couple weeks later. At the beginning of the season, the Jeffs set the goal of ranking eighth in the nation. That is still within reach, but a victory against Williams next week will be crucial. Judging on their recent past, a win in Williamstown, Mass., may just be in the wings. It is crunch time for the Jeffs, but they are more than able to rise to the challenge.