By Jimmy Sullivan

The Fordham squash team’s weekend started much better than it finished.

The team defeated New York University before dropping two matches on Sunday to Connecticut College and Wesleyan University to finish the regular season at 17-7. The team struggled in its final tune-up before the College Squash Association team championship next weekend at Yale University.

The weekend started on a high note, as the Rams sent their seniors off in style in their last match of the year on the Lombardi Squash Courts.

Fordham toppled NYU 7-2 in a much more hard-fought match than the final tally would suggest.

Fordham fell behind early, as the Violets’ Gabe Bassil defeated Fordham junior William Douglass in three sets in the day’s first individual match. However, freshman Patrick Rodden stepped up and took home a thrilling five-set victory over Ashad Hajela. Rodden’s nail-biter changed the momentum for the Rams, and Sahel Anwar’s squad took the next six individual matches to coast to a 7-2 victory.

As Fordham headed away from home for Sunday’s matches, the team was unable to sustain the success it had achieved the day prior.

Sunday’s match with Connecticut College was only briefly competitive, as Douglass’ opening match went to five sets before he succumbed to Connecticut’s M.D. Jawad. No other Ram came that close to a victory, and the Camels walked to a 9-0 win. Out of Fordham’s seven losses, four of them came without a Rams player winning his individual match.

And while the second half of Sunday’s doubleheader went slightly better, Fordham did not get a better result. The Rams dropped their second match of the day by a score of 7-2 to Wesleyan University. The news was not all bad for Fordham, as senior Will Pantle and freshman Winthrop Reed both got wins in their individual matches over Yahya Ladiwala and Alex Dreyfus, respectively. But the Rams weren’t able to muster any more individual victories, and the team finished the regular season on a sour note.

“The two losses on Sunday against Connecticut College and Wesleyan were a tough way to end the regular season,” senior Justin Esposito said. “But I’m proud of how the team played in those matches despite one of our top players being out with an injury.”

Overall, the performance was a slightly disappointing one, if only because the Rams will be competing in the CSA Team Championship next weekend. It’s also very possible that the team was looking ahead to next weekend, which can be difficult to avoid as the season winds down.

“I think the most important thing for us going into Nationals this weekend is to make sure everyone is physically healthy and ready to compete at their highest level,” Esposito said. “Hopefully we can bring the same intensity and focus we brought to the NYU match Saturday, as it looks like we’ll be playing them again next weekend.”

That being said, Fordham ended its season slightly inauspiciously. Let’s see how the Rams can rebound at nationals, as their first match is on Friday at 1:15 p.m. against NYU, the team they beat on Saturday.