As they hosted the OUA crossover this weekend, Jan 23-24 at the University of Toronto Athletic Centre, the Varsity Blues men’s squash team was faced the tough task of earning enough points in their four matches to secure a playoff berth in the Ontario University Athletics championship.
Despite a spirited and determined effort, the Blues went 1-3 over the two-day event and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The weekend started well with a convincing 6-0 defeat over the Brock Badgers but then Toronto struggled against a strong McMaster team with whom they were battling for the fourth playoff spot.
The Blues got off to a great start in the match versus Mac with victories in the No. 5 and No. 6 positions. Ben Hahn (Toronto) playing at 6 won a long, hard match against the Marauders Adam Clarridge, 3-2, while Greg Raczkowski (Toronto) at 5 won 3-1.
Toronto native Jason Tan got off to a great start in the No. 3 spot, taking his first game 11-6, however, he could not maintain his play through the rest of the match and fell 3-1.
The match of the day was at the No. 2 position where Ryan Zufelt of Barrie, Ont. took on former Varsity Blue Hassan Muhammed. In a match of hard-fought rallies, Zufelt had Muhammed under extreme pressure in each game but could not convert it into winning points as he ultimately went down 3-1.
McMaster took the match 4-2 and severely hindered any playoff hopes.
On Sunday, the Blues faced the Waterloo Warriors where again, the scores did not reflect the close nature of each match.
Montreal native Sam Carlsley at No. 6 served three times for the match at 2-2 and 10-8, and again in the fifth and final game at 12 -10, but could not get the winning point.
Jonathan Kent (Toronto) playing at No. 5 took a game off Waterloo’s Craig Langford, while newly-promoted No. 3, Raczkowski, also lost his well-fought match, 3-1.
Blues No.1 Adrian Pond of Toronto was the only player to successfully win his match, 3-1, as the Blues went down 5-1.
With nothing but their pride to play for, the Blues faced their last and toughest opponent of the weekend, the Western Mustangs – a team that had already secured first place, having won 23 of 24 matches.
To the team’s credit, the Blues played Western as if a playoff spot was still possible.
From top to bottom in the line-up, the Blues competed for every point. Hahn at No. 6 and Shahan Khatchadourian (Richmond Hill, Ont.) at No. 4 took games from their opponents yet the outcome was never in doubt as Western wrapped up the match 6-0.
The Blues failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year running, however, as they pointed out; “In 2009, we only managed five wins, this time we doubled our wins to 10 - a 100% improvement!”
