Women Win National Championship

Our women’s team finished an undefeated season by beating #2 Penn in the Howe Cup final 7-2 on Sunday. It’s the third-straight national title for the team and the 17th championship in program history.

Harvard advanced to the final by beating #8 Columbia in the first round (9-0) and #4 Princeton in the semifinal (8-1).

The Crimson got off to a good start with #9 senior co-captain Dileas MacGowan winning in three games. #6 Katie Tutrone won the first two games, then lost the third, but eventually turned the fourth around in the tiebreaker to put Harvard ahead 2-0. Meanwhile, #3 Kayley Leonard had lost her 2-1 lead and was down 5-10 in the fifth. But one rally at a time, Leonard fought back and miraculously won the fifth 12-10!

#8 Sophie Mehta played a solid match and took a convincing 3-0 win; Harvard was up 4-0. Her sister #5 Alyssa Mehta lost the first game and #2 Gina Kennedy was struggling in her match. While Kennedy eventually lost in three, Mehta turned her match around: After winning the second and third 11-8, she cruised to an 11-2 victory in the fourth and clinched the national title for Harvard.

Although the championship had been decided, the third round of play was very competitive and the quality of squash remained high. #7 Sue Ann Yong and #4 Amelia Henley both had close matches but they stayed focused and both of them won in three tight games. In the last match on, #1 Sabrina Sobhy put up a gutsy performance: She won the first game and lost the second just 11-9. After a slow start and loss in the third, Sobhy came back in the fourth and saved two match balls before eventually losing the tiebreaker 12-10 and the match 3-1.

The coaches are very proud of each player on the squad. They remained steady, respectful and humble throughout the season even though they had a target on their backs right from the start. While many scorelines were convincing this season, matches against top teams like Penn, Trinity, Princeton and others are never easy. To come out as Ivy and national champions in the end is a true testament to our women’s level of play and ability to handle expectations.

The last event of the season takes place this coming weekend at Dartmouth where both men and women will compete for the individual titles. The draws will come out later this week and will be published at http://collegesquashassociation.com/.

Go Crimson!

Read more on GoCrimson.com:

Feb 26, 2017
No. 1 Women’s Squash Dominates No. 2 Penn, 7-2, for Third-Straight Howe Cup

The No. 1 Harvard women’s squash team finished the season a perfect 14-0 as it defeated No. 2 Penn, 7-2, in the Howe Cup final Sunday afternoon for its third-straight national championship. The Crimson won the opening five matches, securing the title early against the Quakers.

Read more: http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/wsquash/2016-17/releases/20170226pydnoh

Feb 25, 2017
No. 1 Women’s Squash Heads to CSA Team Championship with 8-1 Win Over No. 4 Princeton

The No. 1 Harvard women’s squash team advanced to the CSA Team Championship with an 8-1 win against No. 4 Princeton at the Jadwin Squash Courts on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson secured a spot in the Howe Cup finals for the ninth consecutive season.

Read more: http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/wsquash/2016-17/releases/20170225pgqv02

Feb 24, 2017
No. 1 Women’s Squash Rolls Past No. 8 Columbia, 9-0

The No. 1 Harvard women’s squash team rolled to a 9-0 victory over No. 8 Columbia in the first round of the CSA Team Championship on Friday afternoon. Harvard extended its win streak to 13-straight matches and collected its fourth-straight sweep of an opponent.

Read more: http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/wsquash/2016-17/releases/20170224mn9qkx

Draws

All the draws are on the CSA website: http://collegesquashassociation.com/2017/02/21/2017-womens-college-squash-association-national-team-championship-brackets/