Wellesley Squash Opens 2011-12 Season with Win over BC

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- Junior Cara Kaufman won a thrilling four-game match in front of a rowdy home crowd to seal a 5-4 victory over Boston College for the Wellesley College squash team. The match served as the 2011-12 season opener for both squads. 

With the team score knotted at 4-4, Kaufman's seventh flight battle against BC's Alison Johnston was the match clincher. After Kaufman went up 1-0 with an 11-5 game one victory, Johnston battled back with a marathon 18-16 victory in game two. Kaufman then sealed her match and the team result with back-to-back 11-9 victories in the third and fourth games. 

Wellesley went up 2-1 after the first three matches were finished. First-year Alexandra Spiliakos won her first collegiate match handedly, defeating Gina Giuggio 11-1, 11-0, 11-4, while sophomore Rosemary O'Connor was a winner at nine over Brooke Dunkley. Last season's No. 1, O'Connor played the match left-handed due to injury, pulling out a 5-11, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-7 victory. BC's Cassie Burke defeated first-year Lilly Tyson 13-11, 11-5, 11-7 to earn a point for the Eagles. 

The next round of matches saw the Blue grab a win from sophomore Haley Vasquez at five, but BC closed the gap with wins at two and eight. Vasquez was an 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 winner over Mary Alden Hanrahan. At two BC's Jen Noesen defeated newcomer Sara Del Balzo, 11-6, 11-4, 11-5, and at eight, Maddy Bette defeated Wellesley's Stephanie Lee, 11-5, 11-5, 11-0. 

The teams then split the first two matches in the final round, to set up Kaufman's clincher. Junior Margo Sulmont defeated Courtney Alpaugh, 11-3, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5 at four, but BC's Lily Haven's won a five-game match over Emma Haley at one, 8-11, 11-2, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8.

Wellesley squash is back in action on Saturday, November 12th at MIT. The Blue will face Smith at 1:00pm and then Haverford at 2:30pm.