By Brett LaFlamme
Staff Writer

The men’s squash team has put together a string of bright performances to cap one of the program’s most successful seasons.

Before going on break the Bobcats played Colby and Bowdoin, winning both matches 8-1. Senior co-captain Ben Schippers was able to hold off a rally from Bowdoins’ top player to win his match in five games, 9-3, 3-9, 9-2, 7-9 and 9-3. Sophomore Guillermo Moronta and junior Jamie White both had comeback wins against Bowdoin, rallying from early two-game deficits.

In a tournament at Bowdoin Feb. 13-14 the Bobcats defeated Hamilton, St. Lawrence and Tufts in 9-0 matches. Bates then hosted Connecticut College on Sunday, beating the Camels 8-1. Tuesday of last week sent the men to M.I.T., where they completed their final-week sweep besting the Engineers 9-0.

Seven Bates players finished the regular season with double-digit win totals.

Rob Weller posted a team best record of 14-3, with first-year Gary Kan tying in wins at 14-4. Ben Schippers ended his Bates career ranked 49th nationally, winning 11 matches this season.

This weekend Bates finished 11th in the Squash Nationals held at Yale. Bates won two out of three matches come-from-behind 5-4 victory over Amherst. The Lord Jeffs beat the Bobcats 6-3 during the regular season meeting. Bates swept 5 of the top 6 matches, with Peter Goldsborough winning in straight games, and Gary Kan defeating Aoluke Mathur, one of the best players in India and Bates senior co-captain Ben Schippers winning in a five-game marathon with Amherst’s number one Michael Strong.

Friday the Bobcats defeated Bowdoin College 7-2. Saturday brought ninth-seed Williams College, who prevailed 7-2. Bates was also nominated again for the national team sportsmanship award, after having won the award last year.

“The men’s team had the most forceful leadership I have ever seen from two captains. Schippers and Mountain picked up the team and pulled them into the top-10 through sheer force of will,” said coach John Illig.

“They knew what they wanted and they got the team there. Our third senior, Andy Roberts, was injured throughout the majority of the season, but he gave excellent support to the team all season.”

“It was a very exciting, breakthrough year for us,” he added. “The players will always remember what an excellent trip we had to Jamaica in January, and to come back from that trip and step into our new facility was almost a surreal experience. We were loving life all through January and February, and it seemed that we could do no wrong. We were a team of destiny this year.”

Respond to this article