Heading into Wednesday’s match the Boys Squash team was eager to play its rivals from Exeter. Unfortunately, the team’s high energy couldn’t help the team claim a victory, and Andover fell to Exeter, 6-1. Jorden Zanazzi ’08 won the only match of the day, playing a fierce game against his highly seeded opponent. Trey Meyer ’09 and Dave Koppel ’08 both lost difficult matches after winning only one of four games. They both suffered 3-1 losses. Captain Graham Miao ’09 lost his match at the number one spot against Exeter’s strongest player, falling 3-0. Last week the team played a busy schedule, facing three schools in just four days. On Thursday they traveled to Brooks, and then on Friday to Belmont Hill. Finally, Andover hosted a formidable St. Mark’s team on Monday. The team went into the match on Monday unsure of St. Mark’s skill level and strength, but eventually Andover grabbed the victory, 6-1. Both Miao and Zou shut out their opponents with easy 3-0 victories. Johnny Bukawyn ’08, Koppel and Meyer all won their matches, playing well and overcoming their opponents after losing their first games. Bukawyn came back strong after his first loss to win his last game 9-0. Zanazzi played his match to five games, eventually defeating his St. Mark’s opponent 3-2. Despite recovering from injury, he played an intense match and continues to perform well at the number seveb spot. Miao also remarked that the team has developed a great deal in terms of mental control and experience, physical conditioning, and technique. On Saturday the team played Belmont Hill, and Andover’s clear lack of focus led to a disappointing 6-1 loss. Meyer was the only player to pull out a victory on the day for Andover. Playing at the number five spot he swept his opponent, 3-0. Miao remarked, “The match was a lot closer than the score reflects, as many of us lost 3-1 and 3-2 in matches that could have gone either way. They were a good team that worked hard, and we lost because we got off to slow starts.” Miao suffered a tough defeat as well, losing his match at the number one spot to a ninth grader from Belmont Hill. At number two, Tony Zou ’09 played a seventh grader who beat him with a score of 3-1. Andover agreed Belmont Hill was a young but incredibly skilled team. The match at Brooks last Friday was a relatively easy win for the team, as they claimed a 7-0 victory, dominating at every position. Andover will end its regular season with a 9-10 record. The team heads to Groton for Interschols this weekend.
