PEARSON REACHES MOLLOY CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
              

  St. Lawrence University junior Nick Pearson advanced to the Molloy Division consolation semifinals in the College Squash Association individual nationals at Williams College last weekend.

                Pearson, who completed his season with a 15-9 record, lost his opening match to Will Morris of Williams, 9-6, 9-6, 9-6. He then beat Pedro Souza 9-7, 9-3, 10-8 in the first round of the consolation bracket;  Jose Calderon 9-2, 9-2, 9-3 in the second round and Rob McCarey 9-7, 9-6, 8-9, 0-9 10-8 in the quarterfinals before losing to Jeremy Hermanne 9-2, 3-9, 9-7, 9-3 in the semifinals.

                Sophomores Alex Dodge and Tyler Stout also competed in the tournament with Dodge losing to Robby Berner of Yale, who went on to the Molloy semifinals, 9-2, 9-4, 9-4. Dodge lost his opening match in the consolation round to David Funk 9-7, 7-9, 9-5, 9-3.  Stout lost in the main draw to Frank Cohen of Harvard and dropped his consolation round opener to Sam Gould 4-9, 9-3, 9-6, 5-9, 9-3.
               

               The Sant 2009 CSA Nationals team following its win over Amherst. (Photo compliments of Kim Whetzel)

 

SAINTS HOLD SEED IN CSA NATIONALS, BEAT AMHERST 7-2
               

Feb. 22: St. Lawrence University’s men’s squash team held its seed as the 15th ranked team nationally, going 1-2 in a highly competitive showing at the CSA Team Nationals at Princeton.

                The Saints, playing in the Hoehn Division for teams ranked 9-16, lost their opening match to 10th-ranked Williams, 9-0 and dropped a tight 5-4 decision to 14th-ranked Brown in the consolation semifinal. They then topped Amherst 7-2 in the 15-16 match to finish the 2008-09 season with an 11-8 record.

                The Brown match could not have been any closer as each team had two five-game wins among the nine matches. Alex Dodge beat Adrian Urban-Leanza 3-2 at one, 9-3, 4-9, 9-4, 7-9, 9-7 and Nick Pearson beat Adam Greenberg 10-8, 9-6, 9-10, 7-9, 9-1 at three for the two Saint 3-2 wins with Brown’s Pat Davis edging Scott Redpath 3-9, 9-5, 9-6, 7-9, 9-6 at five and Brown’s Evan Besser taking a 8-10, 9-5, 8-10, 9-7, 9-1 decision from Tyler Stout at six.

                Scott Phillips won in three, 9-0, 9-6, 9-8 at four and Thomas Kraft beat Alex Heitzman of Brown 2-9, 9-6, 9-2, 9-4 at eight for the other Saint wins.

               Amherst won the matches at one and two in the final match of the tournament, but the Saints swept the rest. Pearson beat Steve Severson of Amherst 3-0 at three, Phillips topped Ben Bishop 3-0 at four, Redpath turned back Todd Lavine 3-1 at five, Stout won at six, Michael Badali beat Tom Rapisarda 3-0 at seven, Kraft beat Brad Corbin in three at eight and Adam Pistel won at nine.
               

 

SAINTS DROP OPENER AT CSA TEAM NATIONALS

                Feb. 20: St. Lawrence University’s men’s squash team, making its first appearance in the Hoehn Division at the College Squash Association Nationals, dropped its opening match to 10th-ranked Williams on Friday and will play the loser of a match between Brown and Franklin and Marshall at 6 p.m. Saturday in the consolation semifinals.

                The Saints, ranked 15th nationally, are playing in the “B” bracket for teams ranked nine through 16 for the first time in program history.

                Four of the individual matches against Williams went beyond three games as the Saints opened against the division’s second seeded team.

                Alex Dodge lost to Ethan Buchsbaum of Williams 3-1 at one, Nick Pearson dropped a 3-2 decision to Will Gruner at three, rallying from 2-1 down with a 9-3 win in game four before Gruner won game five 9-5 and Tyler Stout went five with Cameron Henry of Williams, leading 3-1 before Henry rallied to win with 9-3, and 9-4 wins in games four and five. Jeremy Hermann of Williams beat Thomas Kraft in a close one at eight, 10-9, 9-4, 9-10, 9-5