Men’s Squash Clinch 15th Consecutive NESCAC Championship

Lily Ives ’23

Sports Editor

With only two losses to the 2022 schedule, the Trinity men’s squash team has showcased their dominance on the court this season with a 15-2 in overall play. Sitting confidently as the number three team in national rankings, the Bantams effortlessly defended the number one spot in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) by winning their 15^th straight NESCAC championship on Sunday, February 6. 

This past Sunday, the Trinity Bantams glided by the NESCAC number three ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears with a sizeable 8-1 win. This season for the Polar Bears proved to be monumental, as it was Bowdoin’s first ever appearance in a NESCAC Championship game in program history. Unfortunately for Bowdoin, this would not be their first NESCAC Championship win, as they were forced to face the prominent Trinity Bantams. The Bants dominantly defended their reign since 2007 as best in the NESCAC with a near shutout against the Polar Bears. 

The Bantams won five out of the eight matches with 3-0 scores, due to shutout performances from senior Martin Rios, junior Julius Benthin, and sophomores Advait Adik and Ali El Toukhy. Junior Will Curtis and first-year Matero Restrepo won their matches 3-1, and first-year Dougie Conigliaro clenched a win by 3-2 in a nail-biting match. 

Under renowned leadership by head coach Paul Assaiante, the Trinity men’s squash team has upkept the reputation of extremely dangerous competition to other teams, and a notoriously successful powerhouse to those watching. Throughout Assainate’s coaching career at Trinity, the men’s team has broken records, have proven to be a lethal team, and have also created an even bigger name for Trinity College by making national news and attracting a plethora of international students. One of the most nationally recognized accomplishments of the Trinity men’s squash team happened between the years of 1998 and 2012, where the team took on the longest winning streak in college sports history, by winning an astonishing 252 matches from the year of 1998, to 2012. 

With the NESCAC title defended by the Bantams on February 6, this will propel the team into the CSA National Team Championships which are set to take place Friday, February 18^th through Sunday, February 20^th at the University of Pennsylvania. Following the CSA National Team Championships, the CSA National Singles Championships will take place from Friday, March 4^th, through Sunday, March 6^th at the University of Pennsylvania. 

The Trinity women’s squash will be heading into an exciting weekend in Clinton, New York as they look to match the men’s team and defend the NESCAC title for the 15^th straight year in a row as well. Matches will take place from Friday, February 11^th, through the championship game on Sunday, February 13^th.