Jeffs Fall to Cornell in Hoehn Division Semifinals of CSA Championships

By Justin Long

February 25, 2007

NEW HAVEN, CT - The Amherst College men's squash team defeated Bowdoin College in the first round of the CSA Team Championships (Hoehn Division), but was edged by Cornell University in the semifinal round, 5-4. In a match to determine 10th and 11th places, the Lord Jeffs defeated Bates College, 5-4. Cornell went on to win the Hoehn Division, defeating the United States Naval Academy in the finals, 5-4, for a ninth place finish in the tournament.

In the 8-1 victory over Bowdoin, senior Stu Landesberg (Katonah, NY) was involved in the only match-up that went to five games. Landesberg jumped out to a 2-0 lead but was notched up at 2-2 after dropping consecutive close games, and took the fifth game in convincing fashion, 9-4.

In the semifinal match-up with Cornell, senior co-captain Peter Hatfield (Barrington, RI), classmate Craig McCready (London, England) and sophomore Ben Bishop (Seattle, WA) each walked away with impressive 3-2 victories, with Bishop coming back from being down two games to none, while junior Mark Rapisarda (Brooklyn, NY) won 3-0 in the third slot. The Jeffs were unable to pick up a fifth victory and were edged by eventual-Hoehn-Division-champion Cornell.

The Jeffs came back to pick up a close 5-4 victory over Bates College in a match to determine 10th and 11th places of the tournament, with the lower five spots of the team coming up big to take home convincing victories.

Amherst College vs. Bowdoin College – Friday, Feb. 23 @ Yale University
1) Auloke Mathur (A) def. Matt Dresher, 3-0 (9-2; 9-1; 9-4)
2) Drew Blacker (A) def. Chris Nehrbas, 3-0 (9-0; 9-2; 9-5)
3) Mark Rapisarda (A) def. Zach Linhart, 3-0 (9-5; 9-5; 9-5)
4) Stuart Landesberg (A) def. Dave Funk, 3-2 (9-3; 9-3; 8-10; 7-9; 9-4)
5) Peter Hatfield (A) def. Jake Sack, 3-0 (9-7; 9-4; 9-3)
6) Rob Lynn (B) def. Ben Bishop, 3-0 (9-5; 9-7; 9-3)
7) Jerome Giovanazzo (A) def. Ray Carta, 3-0 (9-4; 9-0; 9-6)
8) Craig McCready (A) def. Peter Cipriano, 3-1 (9-7; 8-10; 9-6; 9-5)
9) Andrew Slutsky (A) def. Thai Ha-Ngok, 3-1 (9-4; 9-6; 6-9; 9-2)

Amherst College vs. Cornell University – Saturday, Feb. 24 @ Yale University
1) Chris Sachvie (C) def. Auloke Mathur, 3-0 (9-7; 9-5; 9-0)
2) Rohit Gupta (C) def. Drew Blacker, 3-0 (9-4; 9-4; 9-3)
3) Mark Rapisarda (A) def. Steven Peever, 3-0 (9-4; 10-8; 9-0)
4) Ted Hill (C) def. Stu Landesberg, 3-1 (4-9; 10-8; 9-4; 9-5)
5) Peter Hatfield (A) def. Andrew McReynolds, 3-2 (9-2; 9-6; 4-9; 6-9; 9-7)
6) Ben Bishop (A) def. Mike Gelinas, 3-2 (5-9; 7-9; 9-5; 9-7; 9-7)
7) Chris Vernick (C) def. Jerome Giovinazzo, 3-1 (9-3; 3-6; 9-4; 9-7)
8) Craig McCready (A) def. Omar Mangalji, 3-2 (3-9; 10-8; 9-6; 8-10; 9-6)
9) Ian Holton (C) def. Andrew Slutsky, 3-0 (9-0; 9-4; 9-2)

Amherst College vs. Bates College – Saturday, Feb. 24 @ Yale University
1) Ricky Weisskopf (B) def. Auloke Mathur, 3-1 (9-7; 6-9; 9-0; 9-0)
2) Sean Wilkinson (B) def. Drew Blacker, 3-0 (9-1; 9-4; 9-5)
3) Kush Mahan (B) def. Mark Rapisarda, 3-2 (3-9; 5-9; 9-4; 9-5; 9-7)
4) Gary Kan (B) def. Stu Landesberg, 3-0 (9-5; 10-8; 9-1)
5) Peter Hatfield (A) def. Chip Russell, 3-1 (1-9; 9-5; 9-3; 9-0)
6) Ben Bishop (A) def. Deacon Chapin, 3-1 (9-6; 7-9; 9-0; 9-5)
7) Jerome Giovanazzo (A) def. Marc Taggert, 3-0 (9-5; 9-4; 9-7)
8) Craig McCready (A) def. Charlie Johnson, 3-0 (9-0; 9-5; 10-8)
9) Andrew Slutsky (A) def. Andrew Jacobs, 3-0 (9-0; 9-1; 9-0)

FULL RESULTS