By MATTHEW MICHAELS
STAFF WRITER
The first half of Fordham’s squash season provided some key moments and promised continued progress for the team. With a .500 record and some key victories under their belt, the Rams started their two month break after a match in mid-November. The men were back in action this past weekend as participants in the Virginia tournament. In Charlottesville, Va. Fordham struggled against tough opponents and lost three of the four matches of the weekend.
Saturday was a busy day as the Rams faced the squads from Georgetown, Notre Dame and the College of Charleston. Fordham could not compete with the formidable Georgetown club team. The Hoyas pride themselves on being the best club team in the nation, and they certainly proved their worth on Saturday. They swept Fordham 9-0.
By any measure, Fordham rebounded nicely in its next match against the College of Charleston. The 47th and 49th nationallyranked teams nationally faced off at the McArthur Squash Center. The Cougars displayed why they are ranked above Fordham in another lopsided match. Fordham lost its second straight match, this time 7-2.
Fordham finished its long Saturday with a match against the Fighting Irish. The team from South Bend, Ind. was shut out against Fordham, with the Rams winning 9-0. Although Notre Dame is ranked amongst the worst teams in the nation, the victory was of great importance to the Rams. It showed how good Fordham can be when the nine guys are at the top of their games.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Fordham faced off against the hosts of the tournament. For the second time that weekend, Fordham players failed to win any head-to-head matches. The Rams finished their losing weekend with a 9-0 loss.
The Rams lost three of their four matches this weekend, and it is easy to say chalk up the Virginia Squash Invitational as a loss.Looking deeper, though, the team shows some promising signs. They pounded inferior opponents by showing their fortitude against Notre Dame. They lost, but fought valiantly against three higher ranked schools. It had been over two months since Fordham’s last game, and its time off may have translated into rust and, consequently, missed opportunities. The long drive to Virginia was no small factor either. The three losses were against schools with much less distance to travel to the tournament.
Head coach Bryan Patterson would like to push his team into the top 40 of the rankings. This goal is an uphill battle for the currently ranked 49th team. However, it is not impossible. With a strong run the rest of the season, Fordham can achieve its goal.
The opening to the squash team’s 2014 leg of play may not have been ultra-successful in the box score, but there were moments of positivity. Fordham will play host to numerous teams, including NYU and Northeastern, this weekend.
