The 20th-ranked Middlebury men's squash team opened its 2018-19 season with a 5-4 home setback on Friday evening to 10th-ranked Navy in the Bostwick Family Squash Center. The Panthers (0-1) return to action when they host 23rd-ranked Tufts on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

In the contest with Navy (11-0), the visitors grabbed the first two matches to finish. Thomas Wolpow got the Panthers on the scoreboard with a three-game victory at No. 8 over Danny Finnegan (11-5, 11-7, 11-6), while Wiatt Hinton evened the match with a come-from-behind triumph at No. 6 over Jamie Kjorlien in five games (9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9).

Teddy Best gave Middlebury a 3-2 advantage via a four-game win in the middle of the ladder over Dylan Sweeney (11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5), while John Epley made the score 4-2 with a four-game win against Ryan York in the seventh slot (10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8).

Navy closed the match with a four-game win at No. 2, a three-game victory in the second spot and a four-game triumph at No. 1 for the final 5-4 decision.