PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania men's squash team entered its first weekend of match play as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. The Quakers fell in a close, 6-3, match with No. 4 Trinity before sweeping Colby to wrap up the day. 

How it Happened

The Kline and Specter Squash Center was packed on Saturday for the clash between No. 1 Penn and No. 4 Trinity. In the first shift it would be Aly Abou Eleinen, Karim Hussein, James Flynn, and Wil Hagen who would look to give Penn the early lead. 

Eleinen and Hussein did just that. The freshman, Eleinen, swept 3-0 at number two, winning 11-2, 11-4, 11-2. Hussein also won 3-0 which included a 12-10 victory in the third game. 

After the first two matches, the Quakers held a 2-0 lead, however, the Bantams took the next two matches at numbers four and eight to tie the match at 2-2 headed into the second shift. 

Michael Mehl went down at number five in four games, but Andrew Douglas tied the match back up at 3-3 with a four game win of his own at number one. Douglas played impressive throughout, getting an early lead by taking the opening game, 11-9. After losing the second, the sophomore won an important third game, 14-12, to take a 2-1 advantage. Douglas closed out the match 11-9 in the fourth to win Penn's third match of the day. 

Yash Bhargava lost his first match of the season at number seven as the Quakers trailed 4-3 headed into the final two matches. Just when it looked like Penn might be out of it, David Yacobucci fought off three match balls in the fourth game to force a fifth just as Jonathan Zeitels won 16-14 in the third to go up 2-1 just three courts over. 

Headed to a fifth game at number three and with Zeitels up 2-1 at nine, it looked like Penn may just pull off the comeback against Trinity. However, Yacobucci went down 7-1 early in the decider. While he managed to climb back and fight off two more match balls, he fell 11-9 in the fifth as Trinity won its fifth match.

In the final match, Zeitels also fell in five games, losing 11-7 in the fifth. 

The Quakers bounced back from the Trinity loss later in the afternoon against Colby. Penn swept seven of the nine matches to win, 9-0. Douglas, Yacobucci, Hussein, and Zeitels all rested meaning several Quakers played higher in the lineup than usual. Eleinen got his shot at number one and lost just three points in the first two games. After losing the third, 11-7, the freshman took the fourth 11-5 to win, 3-1. 

Bhargava bounced back after losing the first game of his match to win in four. Max Reed, Ryan Murray, Alex Norman, and Zach Bradlow all came through at the bottom of the lineup, sweeping their matches, 3-0. 

What's Next

The Quakers head to Princeton on Wednesday as they continue Ivy League play. 

Penn 3, Trinity 6
1. Andrew Douglas (PENN) d. Kush Kumar (TC) - 11-9, 8-11, 14-12, 11-9
2. Aly Abou Eleinen (PENN) d. Tom De Mulder (TC) - 11-2, 11-4, 11-2
3. Thoboki Mohohlo (TC) d. David Yacobucci (PENN) - 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, 12-14, 11-9
4. Ziad Sakr (TC) d. James Flynn (PENN) - 11-9, 11-8, 13-11
5. Aly Tolba (TC) d. Michael Mehl (PENN) - 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8
6. Karim Hussein (PENN) d. Aryman Adik (TC) - 11-5, 11-6, 12-10
7. Andrew Lee (TC) d. Yash Bhargava (PENN) - 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
8. Will Curtis (TC) d. Wil Hagen (PENN) - 11-2, 12-10, 12-10
9. Nku Patrick (TC) d. Jonathan Zeitels (PENN) - 11-13, 11-0, 14-16, 11-4, 11-7
10 (EXH). Patrick O'Sullivan (TC) d. Max Reed (PENN) - 8-11, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10

Penn 9, Colby 0
1. Aly Abou Eleinen (PENN) d. Elliot Gross (CC) - 11-0, 11-3, 7-11, 11-5
2. James Flynn (PENN) d. Alex Spafford (CC) - 11-5, 11-5, 11-0
3. Michael Mehl (PENN) d. Alexander Kurtin (CC) - 11-5, 11-4, 11-7
4. Yash Bhargava (PENN) d. Jason Brodo (CC) - 7-11, 11-5, 11-1, 11-3
5. Wil Hagen (PENN) d. Ryan Santoro (CC) - 11-5, 11-4, 11-8
6. Max Reed (PENN) d. Tyler Burt (CC) - 11-9, 11-4, 11-3
7. Ryan Murray (PENN) d. Charlie Beauregard (CC) - 11-2, 11-3, 11-9
8. Alex Norman (PENN) d. Duda Voldman (CC) - 11-2, 11-7, 11-6
9. Zach Bradlow (PENN) d. Shearer Xi (CC) - 11-5, 11-4, 11-9