Cambridge, MA — Harvard had an incredible 2013 – 2014 season. The Crimson went undefeated for the first time since 1997. They won the most matches in a single season for any Harvard men’s squash team. They won their first outright Ivy League title since 2005. They won their first National Team Championship since 1998. Ali Farag, Harvard’s top player, won his second Pool Trophy (individual title) and the 2014 Skillman Award. For this season, can Harvard live up to the expectations created by last season? The Crimson graduated five players from last year’s Team Championship starting line-up. They are expecting five additions to the line-up who will compete for positions throughout the top 6. Assistant coach Hameed Ahmed adds that, “We hope our big freshmen class will adapt quickly and become a fundamental part of the team right from the start.” Captaining the squad will be Tyler Olson and Sachin Patel. Patel, originally a walk-on to the squad, “has become a crucial part of the team and is very respected by his teammates and coaches,” explains Ahmed. With a new season beginning, the expectations are back for Harvard. Are they prepared to begin the next dynasty in men’s college squash?
2013-2014 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 18-0
Final Ranking: 1
Team Championships: 1st in the Potter Cup
By the Numbers (From US Squash): Did Not Play Any 5-4 Matches… Position with the Most Wins: #1s, 8s, and 9s had 18 Wins
2014-2015 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Mike Way
Returning Players from Team Championships: 3. Dylan Murray (2017 – Ivy League Rookie of the Year, All-Ivy League Team); 6. Bryan Koh (2017); 7. Nick Hopcroft (2016); 9. Tyler Olson (2015); 10. Matt Roberts (2016); 11. Sam Goldberg (2016)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Ali Farag (2014 – Skillman Award Winner, Pool Trophy Winner, CSA First Team All-American, CSA Scholar Athlete, Ivy League Players of the Year, Academic All-Ivy, All-Ivy League Team); 2. Brandon McLaughlin (2014 – CSA First Team All-American, CSA Scholar Athlete, All-Ivy League Team); 4. Gary Power (2014 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 5. Nigel Koh (2014); 8. Tommy Mullaney (2014 – CSA Scholar Athlete)
Additions to the 2014-2015 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3/middle 3: Seif Abou El Einen (Brooks School – Alexandria, Egypt); Bradley Smith (Runshaw Sixth Form College – Lancashire, England); David Ryan (St. Fintans High School, Sutton – Dublin, Ireland); Madhav Dhingra (Dhirubhai Ambani International School – Delhi, India); Devin McLaughlin (2017, returning from injury – The Episcopal Academy – Villanova, PA)
Captains: Tyler Olson and Sachin Patel
Team Goals: To be in contention for the Ivy and National Title
Key Matches: Trinity, Yale, Columbia, Rochester, St. Lawrence, and F&M
To read other team previews, please visit the 2014-2015 College Squash Season Previews page.
