Saints women's squash team edge Boston College, advance at Nationals

St. Lawrence University's women's squash team advanced to the Epps Cup semifinals on Saturday with a 5-4 win over Boston College in a first round match at the College Squash Association women's team nationals at Harvard on Friday morning.

The match was tied at 3-3 with three matches to play and the Saints won two out of the three as first year Brigitte Tousignant won 3-0 at one and sophomore Parker Benedict won 3-0 at seven to clinch the match. The Saints will take on William Smith, the top seed in the Epps Cup, but a team SLU beat 9-0 on the opening weekend of the season, in Saturday's semifinal round at 9 a.m.

Tousignant rallied to win a 15-13 decision in game one of her match against BC's Lilly Havens and then closed out the match with 15-9 and 15-9 wins in games two and three. Benedict had an easier time of it in her match against Ginna Gruggio, winning 11-1, 11-6, 11-4.

Jenn Hearn was a 3-0 winner for the Saints at two, beating Jennifer Naesen 11-7, 11-7, 11-8, but BC won at three through five. Kate Gorgi of the Eagles beat Brittany Coxe 3-2, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8; Cassie Burke beat Kendall Harty 11-2, 11-5, 11-2 at four and Victoria Leonard was an 11-6, 11-5, 11-2 winner over Charlotte Edson was five.

Molly Caplan lost game one to BC's Mary Aiden Hanrahan 12-10, but rallied for the match, winning the next three games 11-7, 11-9, 12-10 and Kate Holby beat BC's Allison Johnston 3-2 at eight for another key Saint win. Holby and Johnston traded wins through the first four games before Holby put it away with an 11-5 win in game five. Maddie Bette of BC was a 3-1 winner over Caroline Fisher in the match at nine, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7.

The Saints will take a 3-12 overall record into Saturday's semifinals.