Squash Team Moves on to New England Final

The varsity squash team defeated Choate (7-0) and Taft (4-3) on Saturday to earn a spot in the finals at the New England tournament. The Bruins will face Hotchkiss, who upset the defending champion Kent in the other semifinal matchup.

Coming into this year's New England tournament, the Bruins felt much more confident than they did a year ago. The tough losses at New Englands and Nationals last season only increased the level of determination and experience that this Brunswick team has as they duke it out at Deerfield this weekend as the top seed.

The first matchup of the day saw the Bruins face off against eigth-seeded Choate, and they were able to display both their talent and depth. Brunswick notched victories from top to bottom, sweeping Choate and punching a ticket to the semifinal against Taft.

This Taft team was a familiar foe to the Bruins, who beat the Rhinos by a tally of 5-2 just a few weeks ago at home. This time, Brunswick found strength in the depth of their lineup and were carried by victories at the #4-7 positions.

At #7, Anden Boulan continued his run of fine play and dispatched his opponent in three quick games. At #4, Henry Raine delivered another blow to Taft with his own 3-0 win. Senior captains Will Newton and Cole Cline each notched 3-0 victories in the #5 and #6 positions to deliver the clinching matches for Brunswick.

The Bruins faced a tough road against Taft's top three players, and lost in each position. Johan Hodgson at #2 and Oliver Velasco at #3 fought hard, but couldn't come out on top in the end. Will Newman, in the #1 slot, faced off Taft phenom Eyad Awad for a barn burner to end the late night. Despite a valiant effort and some brilliant squash, Newman fell in the fifth game. Nevertheless, it was a successful day for Brunswick, who look forward to some good sleep before the New England final on Sunday.

The squash team will face Hotchkiss at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday in the Dewey Squash Center at Deerfield Academy.

RESULTS