State College, PA — Penn State is looking improve its ranking and win their respective division at the 2014 – 2015 Men’s College Squash Association National Team Championships. The Nittany Lions are eyeing matches with Haverford and Colgate. According to tri-captain Ahmad Alhazeem, “These two matches will test our abilities in facing teams that played in a higher division than us in nationals so it will be big for us if we come out on top.” Key to improving this season is getting through the first round of matches. Last season, positions 3, 6, and 9, the traditional first round of matches in the three-court system, combined for a winning percentage of 40%. The second wave of matches, positions 2, 5, and 8, won 49%, while the final wave, positions, 1, 4, and 7 won 57% of their matches. Alhazeen adds that “last year was about maximizing our match scheduling opportunities by playing as many teams as possible. However, for this season we plan to add on to that organizing several activities throughout the season that will also help fundraise for the club.”
2013-2014 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 7-7
Final Ranking: 44
Team Championships: 5th in the Serues Cup
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 1 of 3 … Position with the Most Wins: #7s had 9 Wins.
2014-2015 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Emerging Club
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Diego Garzon (2017); 2. Ahmad Alhazeem (2014 – December); 3. Nicolas Velez (2015); 4. Suryan Goyal (2017); 6. Camilo Cardona (2014 – December); 8. Ahmed Badreldin (2017); 9. Raja Zahirudin (2016)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 5. Jeff Dreyer (2014); 7. Evan Baron (2014); 10. Ronuk Modi (2014)
Additions to the 2014-2015 Roster:
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Josh Pau (returning from injury)
Captains: Ahmad Alhazeem, Camilo Cardona, Nicolas Velez
Team Goals: To improve on last year’s record and hopefully win our division in the national tournament.
Key Matches: Haverford and Colgate
To read other team previews, please visit the 2014-2015 College Squash Season Previews page.
