NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Despite an early lead, No. 5 Yale came up short against No. 2 Trinity Wednesday night in front of an energetic crowd at the Brady Squash Center. The 5-4 loss was the Bulldog's first of the season, while the Bantams remain undefeated on the year.

Yale (8-1, 2-0 Ivy) came into the game seeking revenge for last year's Howe Cup defeat, but could not prevail against Trinity (7-0), the toughest opponent Yale's has faced this season. 

The day began well for the Bulldogs, as sophomore Georgia Blatchford earned a 3-2 win in the No. 9 position. Trinity answered quickly, however, winning the No. 6 match in a close contest despite a tremendous effort from Yale captain Lilly Fast.

At No. 3, junior Shihui Mao took on Trinity senior Wee Nee Low. Clawing back from a 2-1 deficit, Mao evened the match at 2-2 despite coming within one point of defeat. In the deciding game, Mao held onto a slim lead for a 11-8 victory, giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead after the first three matches. 

In the second wave, freshman Shiyuan Mao notched a 3-0 win in the eighth spot. Meanwhile, at No. 5, freshman Jenny Scherl ground out a 3-1 win, coming back from a 10-7 deficit in the clinching game to put Yale within one match of victory. The Bantams triumphed in the No. 2 slot, where Trinity senior Catalina Pelaez outlasted Yale senior Kim Hay for a 3-2 victory, leaving Yale a 4-2 advantage heading into the final three matches. 

Although Yale needed just one win in the final set, Trinity bested the Bulldogs in all three matches to eke out a 5-4 win. Senior Gwen Tilghman came close to clinching a Bulldog victory, winning the fourth game 11-4 to tie her match at two games apiece. However, Trinity's Sachika Balvani held on for an 11-6 win in the deciding game.

Another Yale loss tied the match at 4-4, putting the result in the hands of Yale senior Millie Tomlinson and Trinity sophomore Kanzy El Defrawy, two of the best players in the country. Tomlinson took the first game with an impressive 11-5 win, but El Defrawy fought back, winning the next three games to clinch the match for the Bantams.

Yale will look to bounce back from the loss this weekend. The Bulldogs are set to host four matches at the Brady Squash Center, beginning with a 3 pm. contest on Friday against No. 7 Stanford.

Report by Evan Brown '16, Yale Sports Publicity

Results (via CSA):