Danny Silk ’07 provided the Boys Varsity Squash team’s only win as Andover went down to powerhouse Groton 1-6. After its tough defeat, Andover bounced back and swept Loomis 7-0. Against Groton, Andover was missing two of its top players, Captain Dan Wagman ’06 and Owen Remeika ’06. The absences forced each team member to move up at least one spot on the ladder. Against a tough school such as Groton, this proved to be a major disadvantage. Captain Wagman said, “The match was rough for us because some people were suddenly expected to play two spots higher. Considering the circumstances, I think we did well.” Of Silk’s match, Coach Tom Cone said, “This was a great win for Danny; he really worked hard and implemented good length, something that he has been working on in practice. Danny is also still undefeated so far this season.” At the number one spot, Derek de Svastich ’06 lost three games to one in a hard-fought match. Simon Keyes ’06 said of de Svastich’s match, “Derek’s match was fun to watch because the rallies and the games were so close.” However, de Svastich’s opponent, a cross-country star, was simply able to outrun him. Keyes, despite losing 0-3, also played some of the best squash of his season. Although Groton took all of the remaining matches 3-0, Coach Cone was not disappointed with Andover’s play as he said, “A match like this was really tough for the guys because sometimes moving up just one spot on the ladder makes the difference between winning and losing. Unfortunately, that happened, but everyone came ready to play, which was great. This match also gave some of our less experienced players the ability to play some people that were much better in terms of skill.” Keyes added, “Groton has a great team; they are deep and very well coached. They seemed to know just where to hit the ball to make us run the farthest, and that was the key to their victory.” Looking to bounce back from its loss to Groton, Andover faced Loomis Chaffee on Wednesday. Andover swept Loomis 7-0. Coach Cone said, “Everyone came to play this match and did really well. They played hard and this was a well-deserved win.” At the number one spot, Captain Wagman easily defeated his opponent in three games. De Svastich, playing at number two, trounced his opponent similarly. The team maintained this sort of enthusiasm and drive in each spot on the ladder, as the energy on the court was sensational. Coach Cone said, “This was a match that we needed to boost our morale, and I am glad that we were able to put Friday behind us and focus on this match and the ones ahead.” The Andover will face a tough Milton Academy team this Saturday.
