Detter, Bantams Defeat Princeton in Dramatic Way
Peter Dacey
Issue date: 2/7/06 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 2 next >
|
Heading into the final match against the third-ranked Tigers, it looked as if this would not be another undefeated season for the home team.
With only a lopsided contest remaining to decide which team would walk away victorious, Head Coach Paul Assaiante spoke for many when he recalled, "We were done." But just like the biblical tale, David toppled Goliath, and "The Streak" lives on.
In many ways, the circumstances leading up to that pivotal match might never have occurred. Tri-captain Yvain Badan '06 says, "As coach said during the team meeting following the Feb. 1 home match, 'We had a few fantastic games … and a few horrendous [ones].'"
From early in the season, Coach Assaiante did not expect his number-one player to win every match against the nation's top individuals, and he counted on his team's depth to compensate.
Even though players like Eduardo Pereira '07 and Sahil Vora '07 stepped up their games in very strong wins, unexpected losses at the bottom of the ladder contributed to the night's building drama.
The pivotal number-two match-up, featuring Trinity's Shaun Johnstone '07, could have put Trinity up 5-3 overall with a win.
Johnstone built a one-game lead (4-9, 9-4, 9-1) but ultimately let the victory slip away. His opponent never gave Johnstone a chance to put him away and defeated him in the last two games 3-9, 2-9 for the win.
The match was now in the hands of freshman standout Gustav Detter '09. While Detter had earned the top spot on the team with his great play and maturity as a freshman, his opponent seemed too exceptional for Trinity to have a chance.
The nation's top-ranked player, Princeton's Yasser El-Halaby had suffered only a single defeat in his run as the three-time Intercollegiate National Champion. Coach Assaiante did not enjoy placing Detter in such a difficult situation, but the Trinity number one was ready to compete.
"I was very nervous going into the match because I did not expect it would be me that would decide the match," says Detter. "I did not think I would win, but my main focus was to perform my absolute best performance and to stay calm." Against all odds, however, the Bantams never lost hope.
Be the first to comment on this story