Harvard Edges Trinity 5-4 In Howe Cup Finals
by David Kingsley
February 17, 2013 New Haven, Conn. - Sophomore Amanda Sobhy (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) won the clinching match at the No. 1 position to lead the Harvard University Crimson to a 5-4 victory over the Trinity College Bantams in the College Squash Association (CSA) National Championship (Howe Cup) Finals at Yale University's Brady Courts this afternoon. No. 4-seeded Trinity, appearing in its sixth Howe Cup Final and its first since 2006, finishes with a final record of 16-3. No. 2-seeded Harvard captures its 14th national title and closes 2012-13 with a 15-1 mark. Trinity had upset top-seeded and previously-undefeated Princeton in yesterday's CSA National Semifinals by a score of 6-3.
Trailing, 3-0, after the first wave, Trinity junior tri-captain Catalina Pelaez (Bogota, Colombia) brought the Bantams back to life with a 3-0 victory in the No. 2 position over 2009-10 CSA Singles National Champion Laura Gemmell (Toronto, Ontario). After a 3-0 win at No. 5 by Harvard rookie Saumya Karki (Thane, India) over Trinity senior tri-captain Robyn Hodgson (Aberdeen, Scotland), Bantam junior Jennifer Pelltier (Richmond Hill, Ontario) returned the favor with a 3-0 shutout of sophomore Julianne Chu (New York, N.Y.) in the No. 8 match to bring the overall score to 4-2 after the second wave.
Trinity sophomore No. 4 Ashley Tidman (Lamor-Plage, France) erased Harvard rookie Michelle Gemmell (Toronto, Ontario) in short order, 3-0, to pull the Bantams to within one point at 4-3 with Sobhy leading Trinity first-year Kanzy El Defrawy (Cairo, Egypt), 1-0, in the No. 1 match. Sobhy remained perfect in her two collegiate seasons, besting El Defrawy, 11-7, in the second game and, 11-8, in game three to clinch the title. Bantam rookie No. 7 Sachika Balvani (Mumbai, India) won, 3-0, soon after to round out the scoring.
Trinity sophomore Natalie Babjukova (Prague, Czech Republic) lost for the first time this winter, dropping to 18-1, in a four-setter against Harvard senior co-captain Natasha Kingshott (Greenwich, Conn.). Bantam junior No. 3 Wee Nee Low (Penang, Malaysia) and sophomore Chanel Erasmus (Capetown, South Africa) also lost in four games early. Harvard wins its eighth in a row over the Bantams, including a 7-2 triumph in Cambridge 11 days ago.
Results
No. 1 Amanda Sobhy (H) def. Kanzy El Defraway (T) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-8
No. 2 Catalina Pelaez (T) def. Laura Gemmell (H) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-9
No. 3 Haley Mendez (H) def. Wee Nee Low (T) 3-1: 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8
No. 4 Ashley Tidman (T) def. Michelle Gemmell (H) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-7
No. 5 Saumya Karki (H) def. Robyn Hodgson (T) 3-0: 11-4, 11-9, 11-5
No. 6 Natasha Kingshott (H) def. Natalie Babjukova (T) 3-1: 11-5, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7
No. 7 Sachika Balvani (T) def. Sarah Mumanachit (H) 3-1: 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-1
No. 8 Jennefier Pelletier (T) def. Julianne Chu (H) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-5
No. 9 Megan Murray (H) def. Chanel Erasmus (T) 3-1: 11-2, 6-11, 12-10, 11-3
No. 10 Isabelle Dowling (H) def. Katiria Sanchez (T) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-6
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