PHILADELPHIA, Pa.- The Trinity College Bantams were beaten in the quarterfinals of the College Squash Association (CSA) National Team Championship Tournament (Potter Trophy) for the first time since 1997, 5-4, by the Columbia University Lions at Penn Squash Center this afternoon.  No. 3-seeded Trinity drops to 15-3 with its first-ever setback against the Lions and will face the No. 7-seeded Virginia Cavaliers in the consolation game tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.  No. 6-seeded Columbia improves to 9-6 and will face No. 2-seeded Harvard tomorrow in the semifinals.

Trinity led, 4-2, two thirds through the match but the Lions stole the match by winning the last three points.  Bantam junior Will Curtis (Jundaloop, Australia) won an early 3-0 match and sophomore Abdelrahman Nassar (New Cairo, Egypt) outlasted Columbia's James Wyatt, 3-2, with an 11-3 win in the fourth set and a 15-13 win in the clincher to offset two Lion wins after four matches.  Senior Aly Tolba (Alexandria, Egypt) and sophomore Mohamed Sharaf (Shiekh Zayed City, Egypt) added 3-0 victories to give the Bantams a 4-2 advantage after two waves.

Justin Ghaeli pulled the Lions back within reach following the longest fought match of the day, taking a 3-2 decision against Trinity sophomore Advait Adik (Mumbai, India) at the bottom of the ladder. The match lasted 72 minutes and the duo swapped points repeatedly until Ghaeli secured the victory, 11-8, in the fifth set.  Columbia's Chaitanya Shah brought the match to even at 4-4 when Trinity rookie Danial Izham (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) ws forced to retire in the fifth set.  Izham won the first two, 11-8 and, 11-6, before Shah countered 11-4, and, 11-1. Izham retired while trailing, 5-1, in the fifth.  From the top spot, Trinity junior tri-captain Mike Aijanen (Jarvenpaa, Finland) opened with an 11-9 win, but Columbia senior Velavan Senthilkumar stormed back to win the next three sets 11-7, 11-4, and, 11-8, to secure the Lions' fifth point.

MATCH RESULTS
1. C- Velavan Senthilkumar d. Miko Äijänen, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8
2. TC- Mohamed Sharaf d. Callan Hall, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10
3. TC- Abdelrahman Nassar d. James Wyatt, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-3, 13-11
4. TC- Aly Tolba d. Harold Castiaux, 15-13, 11-7, 11-9
5. C- Adam Goad d. Julius Benthin, 11-9, 11-8, 2-11, 11-9
6. C- Chaitanya Shah d. Danial Izham, 8-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-1, ret.
7. C- MRutvik Rau d. Mateo Restrepo, 14-12, 11-6, 11-8
8. TC- Will Curtis d. Ryan Chen, 11-5, 11-6, 11-0
9. C- Justin Ghaeli d. Advait Adik, 9-11, 11-5, 11-2, 9-11, 11-8
Columbia 5, Trinity (Conn.) 4