Millbrook Masters Hopkins Squash Squad, 5--2

 

    On Wednesday, January 25, the Hopkins boys squash team made the lengthy (1  3/4 hours) trip from New Haven to Millbrook, New York, to challenge the Millbrook boys varsity squash team.  Two years ago, Millbrook had defeated Hopkins at Millbrook by a 4--3 margin, and six players from that match were still on the Millbrook team this year.  Last year's contest was snowed out.  So Coach Ewen knew that his team was facing an experienced group of players.  Millbrook's team had also won the Hopkins Invitational Squash Tournament held at Hopkins last month.

 

 
  The match started out with the even numbered matches going on first.  Millbrook's Willy Feid at #6 had too much depth and pace for a game but outmatched Matt Hodel, winning handily 3--0.  Then Millbrook's Colin Stuart at #4 used a combination of good depth down the left hand wall and deft drop shots up front down the right hand wall to conquer Hopkins' Jack McLean,  11/5,  11/8, 11/4.  Spencer Lovejoy used a brilliant all court game to keep Millbrook's Felipe Pantle behind him most of the time, winning 11/3,  11/5,  11/4.

 

 
  Next, it was time for the odd numbered matches to begin.  Charles Norfleet, Millbrook's number 3 player, outmaneuvered Hopkins' Doug Schaffer, forcing him into the backcourt and coaxing errors from Doug, winning 11/7, 11/6,  11/8 to clinch the match for Millbrook.  Hopkins #1 player, TJ Dembinski, then countered with bullet like ground strokes and crisp volleys after a see-saw first game to win his match,  16/14,  11/5,  11/0.

 

   
The final two matches involved strong efforts from our #5 and #7 players.  Steve Falcigno at #5 was facing a significantly more experienced opponent, but by sheer running and determination, forced his match against Millbrook's Sam Lawson-Johnson to a fifth game before succumbing to Lawson-Johnson's overall accuracy and court position.  The final match involved Hopkins' Griffin Smilow against Millbrook's Greg Reiss, who happened to be the son of the Millbrook coach.  Griffin put on his running shoes and lengthened out the points against Greg, playing his best squash of the year, but wound up on the short end of a hard fought 11/9, 11/8,  11/6 decision.

 

   
In the three exhibition matches, Luke McCrory ran hard and improved each game, but lost, 11/5,  11/6,  11/9 at the #8 position.  At #9, ninth grader Alex Liu came back to win game two after losing a tight game one, but was outgunned overall,  13/11, 9/11,  11/9,  11/7.  Finally, tenth grader Justin Lee fought hard, after dropping the initial two games, to win games 3 and 4.  The fifth and final game was nip and tuck, but Justin was edged in that decisive game, 11/9.

 

   
On Saturday, Hopkins will host King Low Heywood Thomas at the Hopkins Kneisel Squash Center at 3:30 PM.

 

With best regards,

 

William L. Ewen