Saints Upend 12th Ranked F&M Heading into Nationals

by: 

Wally Johnson

Tyler Stout came through with a key win against F&M on Saturday

St. Lawrence University's men's squash team staged a major coup on Saturday, beating 12^th-ranked Franklin and Marshall 5-4 in a match played at Cornell.

The Saints, ranked 16^th nationally, lost to sixth ranked Cornell 9-0, and complete the regular season portion of their schedule with a 12-8 record. SLU will participate in the men's team national championships at Yale beginning Feb. 19 and depending upon other results, should get a boost in their seeding from the Franklin and Marshall win.

Tyler Stout had a key victory for the Saints, providing SLU's clinching fifth win as he came back from a 10-3 deficit to win 12-10 in the fifth game of his match against Zarir Aibara at five. SLU's quality depth was a key in the win as the Saints won four of the five matches from five through nine to secure the victory.

Stout won his first two games 12-10 and 11-4 before Aibara came back to tie it with 11-7 and 11-5 wins in games three and four.

Scott Phillips and Amay Merchant lost 3-0 at one and two, but Alex Dodge won 3-0 at three in a tight match with Sadiq Madraswala, 11-8, 13-11, 11-9. Jermaine Xaba was beaten 3-0 at four, but the Saints were outstanding in the lower half of the lineup.

Nick Pearson won 3-1 at six, trading games with Pat Cunningham in the first wo and then closing it out with 11-5 and 15-13 wins, Michael Badali was beaten 3-2 at seven, losing the deciding fifth game to Chris Gagnier 15-13, but the Saints locked up the win as Thoma Kraft beat Ben Luria 3-1, coming back from an 11-4 first game loss to win 11-5, 13-11, 11-5 and Russel Woeltz beat Scott Nehrbas3-0 at nine. Ben Ross won the exhibition match at ten 3-0.

Sixth ranked Cornell handed the Saints a 9-0 loss in the first match of the day with only Dodge winning a game from his Cornell opponent as he lost 3-1 at three.