Dec. 11, 2009

Complete Results

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The second-ranked Princeton squash team remained unbeaten (5-0) after dealing No. 14 Navy (13-4) a 9-0 loss Friday evening at the Jadwin Squash Courts on the campus of Princeton University. The Tigers field a team with 11 player ranked among the top 100, while four are among the nation's top 10.

"This didn't really go our way today," said Navy head coach Craig Dawson. "While we weren't able to get a win, we had some competitive matches. It's definitely a performance from which we can learn and build off of as we move forward."

Though Princeton claimed the match win in straight sets, Navy rookie Hunter Bouchard (Greenville, Del.) nearly escaped with what would have been just the second singles win by the Mids in the last eight meetings. Bouchard opened the match by taking the lead behind an 11-9 game-one win. However, Princeton sophomore Clay Blackiston, ranked 49th, evened the match with an 11-6 victory. Game three featured phenomenal volleys in a back-and-forth affair that was eventually won by Bouchard, 14-12. Once again, Blackiston answered with an 11-7 win to force the match into a fifth game. Another solid performance by both competitors was taken in the end by Blackiston, 12-10.

Like Bouchard, fellow freshman Billy Abrams (Wilmington, Del.) won the opening game of his match against 36th-ranked Peter Sopher, 11-9. However, experience won out as Sopher came back to win the next three games, 11-5, 11-3, 11-1.

Meanwhile, Navy senior Ben Mantica (Binghamton, N.Y.) faced the highest ranked player the Mids have seen this season in two-time All-American David Letourneau, who is ranked No. 5 in the current College Squash Association rankings. Though Letourneau came out on top, Mantica, ranked 81st, represented the Mids well.

Navy will get a much-deserved break over the next several weeks. The Mids, who hope to have No. 2 player Allan Lutz (McLean, Va.) back in the lineup after sitting out the last three matches with an injury, will be off until Jan. 13 when they play host to Penn.

Dec. 11, 2009 • Princeton 9, Navy 01.   Todd Harrity (P) def. Nils Mattsson (N)        11-8, 11-5, 12-102.   David Letourneau (P) def. Ben Mantica (N)      11-6, 11-5, 11-43.   Santiago Imberton (P) def. Brad Seidel (N)     11-4, 11-6, 11-74.   Jesus Pena (P) def. Justin Langan (N)          11-2, 13-11, 11-35.   Peter Sopher (P) def. Billy Abrams (N)         9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-16.   Clay Blackiston (P) def. Hunter Bouchard (N)   9-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-7, 12-107.   Nikhil Seth (P) def. Tommy McNamara (N)        11-3, 11-0, 12-108.   Stephen Harrington (P) def. John Richey (N)    11-3, 11-7, 11-79.   James Thorman (P) def. David Koenig (N)        11-6, 11-5, 11-7