Hamilton College lost all four of its matches against tough competition at the Yale University Round Robin in New Haven, Conn., this past weekend.
Hamilton (4-9 overall) has dropped six straight matches and is ranked 20th by the College Squash Association. Stanford (No. 17) narrowly defeated the Continentals 5-4 on Friday, Jan. 20. Colby College (No. 18) won 7-2 on Saturday morning before Hamilton fell 9-0 to 12th-ranked Bowdoin College on Saturday night. Bates College (No. 10) shut out the Continentals on Sunday morning.
The match against Stanford was the Continentals' most exciting of the weekend as three matches went to five games. Casey Cook '07 swept her opponent in three games (9-6, 9-1, 9-6) at position four to capture her fourth win this season. Sarah Rienhoff '06 was a four-game winner (9-4, 5-9, 9-2, 9-4) at position five. Rienhoff leads Hamilton with five victories.
Sarah Coleman '08 won a thrilling five-game match at position six. Coleman outlasted her opponent in a gruelling endurance test (9-3, 5-9, 7-9, 9-5, 9-3). Bailey Harris '09 picked up her first collegiate victory with a three-game win (9-3, 9-5, 9-3) at position nine.
Lindsay Walsh '07 suffered a back injury after winning two games handily in her first match ever at position three. Walsh toughed it out, but lost in five (2-9, 4-9, 9-4, 9-1, 9-1) and was done for the remainder of the weekend. Her injury significantly weakened the squad. Callen Sterling '06 put in an heroic performance at position seven. Momentum constantly switched during the match and it was lost only in the last couple of points (9-4, 8-10, 9-3, 5-9, 9-7).
Ashley Pardoe '09 and Katherine Minton '08 posted four-game wins against Colby. Pardoe picked up her fourth victory this season with a 9-3, 7-9, 9-2, 9-1 decision at position seven. Minton earned her first varsity win (6-9, 9-2, 9-1, 9-5) after dropping the first game at position nine. Coleman put up a valiant fight aganst her opponent -- playing one spot above her usual position at No. 5 -- before ultimately losing 9-6, 9-7, 10-9.
Madeleine Sullivan '09 and Betsy McDermott '08 put in gutsy performances at positions one and two against Bowdoin while playing in Yale's four-glass wall exhibition court. Both eventually lost by scores of 10-8, 9-3, 9-1, and 9-5, 9-3, 9-1, respectively.
The Continentals attempt to return to the win column next weekend in Massachusetts. Hamilton plays three matches at Smith College in Northampton on Saturday, Jan. 28, starting at 9 in the morning. The Continentals wrap things up with two matches at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley on Sunday beginning at 9 a.m.
Posted January 24, 2006
