NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Yale Bulldogs claimed the Ivy League championship for the eighth time in league history and the first time since 2011 on Sunday with a 6-3 defeat of Harvard in front of a vocal and eventually jubilant crowd at the Brady Squash Center.
A Crimson victory would have forced the rivals to share the title, but the Bulldogs were determined to win it outright and followed through in thrilling fashion. Yale jumped to a 2-0 lead before Harvard fought back to even things at two matches apiece. With the outcome in doubt, the Bulldogs rallied for three straight wins to clinch the victory.
Yale dealt the first blow with a quick start in the first wave of matches. Sophomore Arjun Kochhar got things going with a 3-0 victory at No. 9, while at No. 6 Max Martin picked up a win as his opponent retired due to injury.
On the main court, fans saw the match of the day, an epic contest at No. 3 between Harvard's Bryan Koh and Yale captain Sam Fenwick. After splitting the opening games, a grueling third frame saw the senior trailing 10-11 before three consecutive points earned him the victory and a roar from the many Yale partisans in the crowd. The fourth game saw a reverse of that result, as Koh came back for a 13-11 win to force matters to a fifth.
The long, intense affair carried on as seemingly every point came only after an extended rally between the exhausted players. Facing match point, Fenwick hit a brilliant shot to equalize, but fell behind again. On the final exchange, his legs gave out, forcing Yale's captain to throw his body at the ball in a desperate attempt to extend the match. Sustained applause recognized both competitors, though Fenwick remained on the floor in obvious pain for some time afterward.
With sophomore Thomas Kingshott having dropped his match in the interim, Harvard had now tied the score at 2-2. However, a win from junior Liam McClintock just moments later in three games put Yale back on top, with the Bulldogs needing two more to seal the deal.
Junior Kah Wah Cheong got Yale within striking distance with a stellar performance at No. 4, putting his opponent away in three games.
His fellow junior TJ Dembinski would have the opportunity to secure the title for the Bulldogs. After a slow start in the first game, Dembinski evened the match at one apiece before catching fire in the third game to put the Bulldogs just eleven points from the championship. With the crowd and his teammates in full voice behind him, Dembinski tore through the fourth game for an 11-3 victory that gave Yale the win over Harvard and sole possession of the Ivy League title.
After the match, coach Dave Talbott praised his team's effort throughout the season, which he said led to their undefeated conference run. He also noted how the Harvard match reflected the depth of Yale's lineup — a trademark of the team that has helped them win matches throughout the year.
After celebrating their accomplishment, the Bulldogs will look to build on their success in the CSA Team Championships in two weeks' time. With only two losses on the season — to No. 4 Rochester and top-ranked Trinity — Yale promises to contend for a national championship to add to the trophy haul.
Report by Evan Brown '16, Yale Sports Publicity
Video
Match-winning point
Post-match interview with captain Sam Fenwick
Post-match interview with Coach Dave Talbott
Results
1. Ryan (H) def. Leman (Y) 11-5, 11-7, 11-8
2. Dembinski (Y) def. Smith (H) 5-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3
3. Koh (H) def. Fenwick (Y) 11-8, 8-11, 11-13, 13-11, 12-10
4. Cheong (Y) def. Dhingra (H) 11-7, 11-8, 13-11
5. Murray (H) def. Kingshott (Y) 11-9, 11-3, 11-8
6. Martin (Y) def. McLaughlin (H) 11-7, 8-9 [retired]
7. Broadwater (Y) def. Gosset (H) 11-6, 12-10, 7-11, 5-11, 11-5
8. McClintock (Y) def. Abou El Einen (H) 11-8, 11-9, 12-10
9. Kochhar (Y) def. Patrick (H) 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-5
