Men’s Squash Cruises in First Three Matches of Season

SAMANTHA BEATI ’17
STAFF WRITER
The Trinity College Men’s Squash team opened up their season with two matches against Bates and Bowdoin College on Nov. 19. The Bantams got two easy wins at 9-0 each, led by their No. 2 in the rotation, Kush Kumar ’20. Kumar is one of five first-years on the team, captained by Affeeq Ismail ’17, Nick Giacco ’17, and Rick Penders ’18.
Head Coach Paul Assaiante said of his talented first years, “I keep forgetting that freshman are just that; freshman. They have so much to learn and in particular a whole new educational system. They are great guys, hard workers, but they have a long way to go.”
The Bates win was very special for Coach Assaiante who garnered his 400th win in his 23-year career at Trinity, something he says he hardly noticed. “I was just happy with the way the boys played on that day. Numbers mean absolutely nothing to me.”
On Sunday, Nov. 20, the Bantams got their third win of the season against Drexel University with another 9-0 win. Drexel pushed the team more than the first two opponents, forcing five four set matches and one five-set match.
The Bantams will have their first challenges of the season against Columbia University and Dartmouth College this upcoming weekend. The Bantams will finish the weekend against another NESCAC opponent, Colby. The scheduling this weekend is a bit unusual as the team will play at home on Friday and Sunday, but travel to Hanover, N.H. on Saturday to play Dartmouth.
Assaiante said of the two Ivy League matchups, “Columbia is really good this year and are coached by a Trinity alum. And don’t forget that Dartmouth beat Harvard last year so it will be a good test weekend.”
This weekend’s trio of matchups will be the last for the Bantams for over a month as they break for the end of term. Their sixth match of the season will take place on Jan. 8 against University of Pennsylvania, followed by a contest with Princeton on Jan. 9.