Tufts looks for a big win against Colby

After a commanding win against Boston College last week, Tufts fell to St. Lawrence University, 7-2, last Saturday.

“We had two very clear wins against Haverford and Boston College [on Jan. 16 and Jan. 20, respectively] that has given us some momentum moving forward,"senior tri-captain Paige Dahlman said. "Unfortunately, we lost our most recent match to St. Lawrence 2-7, but not without some substantial effort. [Sophomore] Lynn Cheng was probably the highlight of that match, as she beat her opponent 14-12 in the fifth game of her match."

Cheng who played in the sixth position, was one of the few bright spots for Tufts on Saturday. Cheng lost her first two games, 8-11 and 6-11, but she came from behind to win the next two games, 11-7 and 11-6, to force the fifth game. The fifth game went to extra points, adding even more excitement to an already close match, and Cheng finished on top 14-12 to win the match.

“Going into the match, I was both really excited and nervous because I had just recovered from a serious injury," Cheng said. "I was really tired that day because we had travelled eight hours the night before to get to St. Lawrence. Going into my first two games, I knew I was a better player than she was but I wasn't really focusing and thinking about the game, which made me lose those [first two games]. Going into the third game, I knew what had to be done and I completely changed my mindset from 'I must win' to 'just focus on the ball' which is something that always helps me."

That minor adjustment proved integral to her comeback.

"When I won the third game, I knew my momentum was coming back," said Cheng. "My opponent was making a ton of unforced errors, too. In the fifth game, I was so desperate to win the game that I ran for every single ball. I was down 10-7, which meant that if she were to win the next point she would win the whole game, but I kept my composure and focused and ended up winning 14-12, and by the end, I felt like I was about to throw up. But I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding games I’ve ever played in my squash career.”

First year Lauren Banner was the other winner for the Jumbos out of the fifth position, easily handling first-year Cristina De La Vega in three games, 11-7, 11-7, 11-3.

Tufts struggled, though, in the first four and bottom three positions. Junior tri-captain Paget Stanco fell to sophomore Jill Baker, 11-1, 11-4, 11-7. In the second position, senior tri-captain Paige Dahlman lost to senior Brigitte Tousignant, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5.

First-year Claudia Udolf played in the third position but was topped 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 by sophomore Emily Terry. In the fourth position, senior tri-captain Ann Bellinger played sophomore Zoe Kagan, but came up short, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6.  First-year Gabi Salomon played in the seventh position, but lost to St. Lawrence junior Valeria Quan Miranda, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4.

First-year Nellie Harvey also fell in three games in the eighth position, as first-year Losangela Batista picked up the 11-3, 11-8, 11-2 win for the Saints. And at the bottom of the the Jumbos lineup, junior Hannah Park came up short in the ninth position, losing 11-4, 11-2, 11-3 to sophomore Paige Buchanan.

The Jumbos have just two matches left on their regular season schedule after their matchup against the Northeastern Huskies was postponed due to the snowstorm.

"Our success against Colby and [Conn. College] this upcoming weekend is crucial for determining which division (C or D) we play in for Nationals," said Dahlman. "Yet I am optimistic for us as we have been working hard and practicing even with the significant weather set-backs.”