The #19 Middlebury men's squash team (2-7) came up short at #21 Bates on Thursday evening. The two teams were knotted at four game apiece, but the Bobcats (9-4) took the final match to edge the visitors 5-4. The Panthers return to action on Friday when they head to #23 Bowdoin for a 3:00 p.m. match.

Trailing 1-0, PK Keller won three consecutive games to earn the victory at #6 (8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10), tying the contest at one point apiece.  In the third spot, Jack Kagan gave Middlebury its first lead (2-1) of the contest with a 3-1 win  (11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10).

Bates earned two-straight points at #7 and #5 to take a 3-2 edge, before #2 William Cembalest swept his opponent (4,6,8) to tie the match 3-3. Cembalest's victory was his sixth-straight, as he remains undefeated this season.

Trailing 4-3, John Epley secured a point in the fourth spot. He fell in the first game, before bouncing back to win three-straight and pick up a point for Middlebury (3-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5). The match was decided in the top-spot featuring a battle between Panther Nick Bermingham and Bobcat Graham Bonnell. Trailing 2-0, Bermingham bounced back to win the third game, but it was not enough, as Bonnell held on to take a 3-1 victory and secure the 5-4 Bates' win.