Shane shines at Yale invitational

Vincentian squash player Shane Slater and the Franklin and Marshall men’s squash team recorded a perfect 4-0 record at the recently concluded Yale University Squash Invitational from January 20-22.

The competitive weekend saw duals being played between over 20 men’s and women’s teams from across the USA.{{more}}

On the first day, the No.15-ranked Diplomats made quick work of No.18 St. Lawrence University, defeating the Saints by 9-0, with Slater accounting for Tom Hollingsworth 9-7, 9-4, 9-1 at the No. 8 position.

The following day saw a showdown between the Diplomats and the Bobcats of Bates College, ranked No.12 in the country. Despite being the underdogs, the Diplomats dominated the early matches with victories at Nos. 9, 6, 5 and 3 to take a strong 4-0 lead, signalling a potential upset.

With victory in sight, the task was left in the hands of 17-year-old first-year player Shane Slater. Accepting the challenge, Slater secured the first two games of his match with fellow freshman Charlie Johnson 10-9, 9-6, before Johnson snatched the next two games 9-5, 8-10. After a long, dramatic battle, Slater emerged victorious 10-9, 9-6, 5-9, 8-10, 9-6 to clinch a major upset for Franklin and Marshall.

With no time to celebrate, the Diplomats returned to the Brady Squash Centre in the evening to take on the No. 24-ranked Connecticut College. In a similar outcome to the St. Lawrence dual, Franklin and Marshall handed the Camels a 9-0 defeat, with Slater dominating his opponent 9-1, 9-2, 9-2.

In the final match of the weekend, the Diplomats faced another higher-ranked team from Maine, the No.14-ranked Polar Bears of Bowdoin College. With the confidence gained from the 6-3 victory against Bates, the Diplomats secured another 6-3 upset, with Slater contributing with a strong 9-5, 9-7, 9-6 win over Bowdoin senior Chris Metcalf.

Due to the successful weekend, Franklin and Marshall College will now move up three spots to No.12 in the next release of the CSA National Men’s Team rankings.

The Diplomats will continue their season on January 25 at Haverford College.