NEW YORK — The No. 6 Columbia men's squash team came back from 4-2 down to win its last three matches and defeat No. 5 Drexel, 5-4, Friday evening at the SL Green StreetSquash Center.
Just one point from being defeated, Columbia (4-0) got victories from the No. 6 position in
Rutvik Rau, followed by
Adam Goad at No. 5 to level the score, 4-4. That left
Callan Hall and Drexel's Lucas Rousselet to decide it from the top court.
Hall survived match ball in the fourth game at 10-9, winning the last three points to bring it to a fifth. After taking a 10-5 lead, Hall finally put the match away on his fifth attempt as the Lions celebrated and gave Drexel (7-1) its first loss of the season.
"I think it's a good win for us, very exciting," said Hall, a senior. "In the last game there I was something like 8-2 up … He got it all the way back to 9-10 but I managed to get a good shot there and get the win. This will give us a lot of confidence and we have it in us."
First-year
Jacob Bulbulia kept his unblemished record intact and earned Columbia's first point of the match, handling his opponent in three games that took just 28 minutes. Senior
Justin Ghaeli helped make it 2-2 after four matches complete with a quick 25-minute sweep at No. 8.
Drexel would win the next two bouts at No. 2 and No. 7, making it 4-2 in favor of the visitors. Needing all three of the remaining matches to win, the Lions came through. First, it was Rau at No. 6, who traded the first four games with his opponent to head to a fifth and deciding game. Rau got some early breathing room in the fifth and went on to win, 11-7.
Adam Goad finished up shortly thereafter. He dominated the opening game, 11-1, breezed through the second game, 11-5, before being tripped up in the third, 11-9. However, the sophomore put away Noel Heaton in four to put all eyes on the drop draw.
"The men have just been building up and getting closer as a team and better every match," Columbia interim head coach
Joanne Schickerling said. "We've been really working on fitness, mental toughness and consistency on both sides. They really showed it today bringing it on court."
Columbia plays its first Ivy League match on Sunday, hosting Cornell at the SL Green StreetSquash Center. The match is set for 12 noon.
For the latest on the Columbia squash programs, be sure to follow the teams on
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Facebook (Facebook.com/ColumbiaSquash), or by visiting GoColumbiaLions.com.
#6 Columbia 5, #5 Drexel 4
(1)
Callan Hall (COL) def. Lucas Rousselet (DRE): 3-2 (11-7, 12-14, 4-11, 12-10, 11-9)
(2) Matias Knudsen (DRE) def.
James Wyatt (COL): 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-2)
(3) Haris Qasim (DRE) def.
Harold Castiaux (COL): 3-2 (6-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-4)
(4) Dylan Kachur (DRE) def.
Chaitanya Shah (COL): 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-5)
(5)
Adam Goad (COL) def. Noel Heaton (DRE): 3-1 (11-1, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8)
(6)
Rutvik Rau (COL) def. Jose Andres Lopez (DRE): 3-2 (11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7)
(7) Filip Krueger (DRE) def.
Ryan Chen (COL): 3-2 (11-8, 7-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8)
(8)
Justin Ghaeli (COL) def. Gautam Nagpal (DRE): 3-0 (13-11, 11-5, 11-4)
(9) Jacob Bulbulia (COL) def. Shaan Dalal (DRE): 11-9, 11-6, 11-7
(10)
Zach Nam (COL) def. Emil Snyman (DRE): 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-4)
Order of finish: 9, 4, 8, 3, 2, 7, 6, 5, 1
