By Sarah Kraus, Staff Contributor
The home side prevailed in women’s squash action this afternoon, handing Prince Edward Island its first loss of the Games.
Both teams played well in front of an impressive crowd watching the showcase glass court at Saint Mary’s University Tower.
The cowbells, flags, chants and funky hats brought the excitement factor to a whole new level, changing the atmosphere of the games. At one point, an official asked the rowdy crowd to refrain from cheering until the rallies ended.
Bolstered by their fans, the girls hit a number of beautiful winning shots, especially PEI’s Ryann Jinks, who was the only member of her team to win a game. The final score was 3 – 1 for NS.
Maryam Aly was the standout for NS, winning her matches quite decisively: 11 – 3, 11 – 7 and 11 – 2. Her shots to the back corners frequently caught her opponent off-guard.
With that exception, most of the games were very tight, with a number of them being played past the typical 11 points as a game must be won by at least two points.
Overall, the encounter was choppy and relatively slow-paced due to a number of lets (re-serves due to a collision) and strokes (points given when an opponent gets in the way of a clear shot) awarded by the officials.
While competition was fierce while play was underway, after the encounter both teams got together for a picture inside the unique glass court and PEI called out three cheers for Nova Scotia while parents from both sides shook hands with one another.
Nova Scotia’s record now stands at 1 – 1, with their next game being played tonight at 6:30 p.m.. All games are held at Saint Mary’s University in The Tower.
Editor’s Note: Sarah Kraus is volunteering as a media representative for the Canada Games and is stationed at Saint Mary’s University. She also writes for the Gazette.
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