The 17th-ranked Middlebury men's squash team went toe-to-toe with undefeated #15 Navy, but ultimately fell 5-4 on Friday from the Bostwick Family Squash Center. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• The sides split the first matches of the contest. Ramsay Killinger grabbed a four-game victory over Naum Lekovic at #9, while Caleb Boateng triumphed 3-1 (11-4, 6-11, 13-11, 11-5) in the fifth slot. 
• The swing of momentum continued as David Zhao rallied from a 2-0 deficit with 12-10 and 11-8 triumphs in the third and fourth games to force a decisive fifth. Christian Graziano shut down the comeback via an 11-8 decision to put the Midshipmen up 2-1 before Nico Brown secured a four-game win (11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2) to knot the contest at two apiece.
• Navy took control in the ensuing matches. Wenqing Tang earned a sweep at the top of the ladder before Johan Hodgson rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Kian Kardestuncer in a match that lasted over an hour, putting the guests up 4-2.
• Ronin Kaplan trimmed the deficit to one by way of the sweep in the eighth spot before a 3-1 victory at #3 from Alexander Orr clinched the match for the Midshipmen.
• In the final battle of the evening, Theo Kogan grabbed a four-game triumph at #6 (11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3) for the 5-4 final score.

NOTES

• Brown earned his team-leading fourth victory of the campaign.
• In the exhibition match, Charlie Clifford tallied a 3-0 decision (11-3, 11-6, 11-4) against Tighe Mullarkey.
• The Panthers and Midshipmen met for the 16th time.

Middlebury continues its three-match home weekend against #16 Franklin & Marshall on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.