LANCASTER, Pa. -- #10 Franklin & Marshall's men gave #6 Cornell everything it could handle and then some in squash on Friday night. The Big Red (1-0) ultimately prevailed 5-4, but not before being taken to the wire, and not without the aid of a handful of lets.
The match was tied 4-4 with only the No. 3 men left on the floor, Cornell's Thomas Spettigue and F&M's Mauricio Sedano, tied at 2-2. The Diplomats (1-1) freshman had taken the first and fourth game from Spettigue. In the fifth, Spettigue called for three lets. The most pivotal let was called on what had otherwise appeared to be an artful drop at the wall. The let made it 7-4, rather than 6-5, and broke the will of Sedano. Spettigue went on to an 11-6 victory from there.
"I am tremendously proud of the way we played tonight," said head coach, John White. "That is the best showing we have had against an Ivy in my four years."
"We had outstanding performances throughout the lineup and I think we developed plenty of positive momentum going forward."
The Diplomats came out on top in the other pair of matches that went five. At No. 1, Gabreil de Melo triumphed 11-3 in the fifth over Nick Sachive, while No. 8 Pat Cunningham rallied from two games down for a win over Mckay Claghorn, 4-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7.
Freshman Sujat Barua won in four over Amar Gupta, 11-9, 13-15, 12-10, 11-8. Nadav Tannen also won in four at No. 7, defeating Owen Butler 11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9.
The Diplomats return to action tomorrow at Princeton.
#6 Cornell 5, #10 Franklin & Marshall 4
Nov 19, 2010 at Lancaster, Pa. (Mayser Center)
1. Gabriel de Melo (F&M) def. Nick Sachive (CORNELL) 13-10, 11-2, 9-11, 5-11, 11-3
2. Alexander Domenick (CORNELL) def. Guilherme de Melo (F&M) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6
3. Thomas Spettigue (CORNELL) def. Mauricio MunezSedano (F&M) 5-11, 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6
4. Sujat Barua (F&M) def. Amar Gupta (CORNELL) 11-9, 13-15, 12-10, 11-8
5. David Hilton (CORNELL) def. Juan Diego Lopez (F&M) 7-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-5
6. Rishi Jalan (CORNELL) def. Justin Singh (F&M) 11-8, 11-5, 11-4
7. Nadav Tannen (F&M) def. Owen Butler (CORNELL) 11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9
8. Pat Cunningham (F&M) def. Mckay Claghorn (CORNELL) 4-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7
9. Steven Peever (CORNELL) def. Aadit Zaveri (F&M) 11-9, 11-9, 11-5
Exh. Bryan Keating (CORNELL) def. Chris Gagnier (F&M) 11-8, 11-9, 13-11
Match Notes
Cornell 1-0; National ranking #6
Franklin & Marshall 1-1; National ranking #10
T-3:00 A-275
