The #15 Middlebury men's squash team battled 13th-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Saturday afternoon, falling by an 8-1 score. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS 

• The Engineers claimed the first three points of the match with a trio of 3-1 decisions at #3, #8 and #4, respectively.
• Nico Brown got the Panthers on the scoreboard, securing the final two games against Zachary Starr in the seventh spot (11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5).
• MIT clinched the match with a 3-1 victory in the top slot and a 3-0 triumph at #5. 
• The hosts made it 6-1 with a sweep in the sixth spot.
• The final two matches went the distance. David Zhao squared off with Ethan Chan at #2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-9), while Naum Lekovic fought back from a two-game deficit before losing to Sean-Winston Luo in the ninth slot (11-9, 11-6, 4-11, 9-11, 11-9) for the 8-1 score.

NOTES

• The win was the 10th of the season for Brown.
• Charlie Clifford swept Mitav Nayak in the exhibition match (11-1, 11-5, 11-2).
• The programs competed for the 11th time, with the Panthers owning a narrow 6-5 edge in the series.

Middlebury remains in Massachusetts for a 12:00 p.m. contest on Sunday at #11 Tufts.