Three-time, reigning Yukon champ Julien Revel capped two achievements with one win Tuesday evening at Better Bodies.
With the victory, the Underhill Geomatics captain secured an undefeated season as a player and clinched the Squash Yukon League Division 1 title for his team.
“We had a good team this year,” said Revel. “I’d like to thank our sponsor Underhill for sponsoring the team.
“We had good games, lots of fun, and I guess we’ll be back next year to try again.”
The clincher was a 15-7, 15-11, 13-15, 15-12 win over Pizza Hut captain Jason Jobin, who is just returning from the University of Victoria, where he was a president of the UVic Squash Club.
“In the first two games my length was hitting the sidewall before getting to the back of the court, so it pops out a bit and that leaves you vulnerable,” said Jobin. “So I straightened out in the third and made sure to keep it in the corners, which is crucial for squash.”
“I let my guard down, I guess, for a few rallies and tried to come back, but he was up,” said Revel. “He had the momentum.”
The match-up of Underhill and Pizza Hut, who finished the regular season second and first respectively, also saw an interesting battle between the teams’ No. 3 players. Going head-to-head was a pair of juniors who were Team Yukon’s top male players at the Canada Winter Games in February.
In the end, Underhill’s Stephen Grundmanis beat Hut’s Mustafa Syed 15-10, 13-15, 15-12, 17-15.
“He played well. He beat Mustafa 3-1, last time he played him it was in five (games),” said Revel. “We are happy with the result.”
“(Mustafa) is going to be a typhoon in a couple of years,” said Jobin. “I’m going to have to start worrying about him in a couple of years.”
Not getting away unscathed, Underhill took a loss in the No. 2 match. In an example of experience over youth, Hut’s Jim Gilpin, the league’s oldest player for the last decade, triumphed in four games over Eric Bardin, who was just finishing his second season in the league.
Other wins for Underhill in the finals included Brett Hannigan and Emilie Herdes both going over Hut’s Justine Carre and Glenn Rudman.
“Brett Hannigan was playing for the first part of the season, and then he got injured and couldn’t play for a couple of months,” said Revel. “It was good to have him back for the final.”
In other Division 1 results, Outside the Cube was inside the winners’ circle, taking third over Assante. In the struggle for fifth and sixth, Yukon Brewing came out flat, losing to Kilrich.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com