Brunswick School, alum Berner a part of NCAA history with Yale University

Written by Paul Silverfarb
Friday, 27 January 2012 12:07

Greenwich native Robert Berner knew his love and dedication to the sport of squash would take him far in his collegiate life, however the Brunswick School alumnus never imagined he would be a part of history.

Berner, a senior and member of the No. 2 ranked Yale University squash team, hosted powerhouse and top-ranked Trinity College, who entered the match with the Bulldogs on a 252-match win streak that dated back to the 1998 season.

“It was a really special match,” Berner said. “Trinity started its winning streak before I even picked up a squash racket. I’ve never seen anybody beat Trinity and to be lucky enough to be on the team that ended that streak is really special, both foe me and my teammates.”

Not only did Berner win his match against Trinity’s Juan Flores (7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8), but he was one of the deciding matches that sealed Yale’s stunning victory against the Cardinals.

“I actually played Juan last year in the national finals against Trinity and won 5-4,” Berner said. “The match was very similar and the score was the same. I thought I played really well and played a little bit of a different style than I did last year in nationals. I played more of a faster pace because we were on our home court this time. I was happy with the way things turned out.”

Whenever Yale and Trinity go to battle, the match is always intense. Before Yale’s victory, Trinity was top team in the nation, with the Bulldogs ranked just below them. When the top two teams play, Berner said it’s always fun. However Berner always get a little more excited than other.

Berner, along with Yale junior Sam Haig, who is currently nursing an injury, get to see fellow Brunswick School alum and Trinity standout Matthew Mackin, who won his match against Yale 11-8,11-9,6-11,3-11,11-9.

“It’s a very special time for us,” Berner said. “It’s a lot of fun to compete against players from my former high school. What made it more special was that our Brunswick coaches Jim Stevens and George Boynton came up to the match to watch. They were obviously rooting for the Brunswick guys and no team in particular. It was great and it shows that those coaches really have a great program in Brunswick.”

While Berner was thrilled with the team’s ability to end Trinity’s streak, he also knows the bigger picture.

“While this match got a lot of publicity, we are only halfway through our season,” Berner said. “we play Trinity early in the season and won’t rest on that victory. We knew our goals and we know what we need to do to reach them. It was exciting to win the match, but we need to refocus and play hard the rest of the year.”

And both Berner and the Bulldogs haven’t let up. Coming off their victory over Trinity, the Bulldogs traveled to Rochester, N.Y. and quickly dispatched Western Ontario, 8-1. Berner won the match 11-8,11-2,11-5.

A day later, Yale battled the University of Rochester, the No. 4 ranked team in the county, and the nation’s newly crowned top team had issues. However they were able to overcome Rochester 5-4. Berner again came out on top, beating his opponent in straight sets 15-13,11-6,13-11.

On Tuesday, Yale returned to play in the Ivy League and had little trouble beating Brown University, coming away with the 9-0 victory.

“We’re not looking too far back at that Trinity win,” Berner said. “It’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives, but we’re in the heart of our Ivy League season and there are a lot of tough matches still to come. We still got to play Harvard and Princeton and there’s a very strong possibility that we’ll see Trinity again potentially in the national championship. Our end goal is to recapture the Ivy League title and unseat Trinity from their 13-time national championship winning streak.”

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