ITHACA, N.Y. — The No. 9-ranked Cornell men's squash team (6-8) concluded its regular-season slate with a clean sweep of the No. 14-ranked University of Rochester (8-8) at the Belkin Squash Courts on Wednesday evening.

Cornell's victory snapped its eight-match losing streak, registering its first victory since Jan. 11 in the Ivy League opener against Dartmouth, 6-3. Wednesday's win was Cornell's third 9-0 victory on the season, joining victories over No. 14-ranked Western (Nov. 22) in the season opener and a road triumph over No. 19-ranked Amherst (Dec. 8).

Five of the Big Red's nine victories came in straight games, all between the No. 5 and 9 matches. Seniors Tanay Punjabi (No. 5), Rohan Iyer (No. 6), and Shreemann Raghavan (No. 7), sophomore Arnav Tevatia (No. 9), and freshman Roman Bicknell (No. 8) were the quintet that did not drop a game.

Punjabi's victory snapped his 11-match losing streak, claiming his first victory since Dec. 8, when he defeated Amherst's Fares Khairy in straight games on Dec. 8.

Senior Arnaav Sareen posted a four-game victory over Omar Zakaria, recording three straight wins after dropping the first game in extra points, 12-14, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7.

Sophomore Syan Singh also won in four games, as he made his return to the lineup following an eight-match absence. Singh defeated Tom Whiteley at the No. 4 position, 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8, to also snap Whiteley's team-leading four-match win streak.

Senior Aaron Liang (No. 1) and freshman Youssef Sarhan (No. 3) each battled in their respective matches, prevailing in five-game marathons.

Liang jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Yash Fadte with 11-8 and 11-7 victories before Fadte won the next two games, 11-6, 11-8, forcing a decisive fifth game. Behind an 11-9 win, Liang outlasted Fadte, logging his third consecutive win.

Sarhan and Dhireen Rajarathinam alternated victories throughout their five-game match, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, with the Cornellian first-year prevailing en route to his eighth victory on the season, tying Iyer and Raghavan for the team lead.

MATCH RESULTS
No. 1: Aaron Liang def. Yash Fadte, 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9.
No. 2: Arnaav Sareen def. Omar Zakaria, 12-14, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7.
No. 3: Youssef Sarhan def. Dhirren Rajarathinam, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4.
No. 4: Syan Singh def. Tom Whiteley, 11-9, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8.
No. 5: Tanay Punjabi def. Arnav Mandhana, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8.
No. 6: Rohan Iyer def. Thomas Valderrama, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4.
No. 7: Shreemann Raghavan def. Jacob Koeppel, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9.
No. 8: Roman Bicknell def. Vandrick Inman-Benavente, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5.
No. 9: Arnav Tevatia def. Nicholas Gill, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6.

UP NEXT
Cornell will have the next two weekends off before it returns to action in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 6, for the beginning of the College Squash Association (CSA) National Team Championships, which will be held at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.