Rochester, NY — Rochester head coach Martin Heath characterizes the Yellowjackets as a “smart, focused, competitive, international and fun team.” Add dangerous to that list. After finishing fifth in the nation last year, the Yellowjackets are returning their entire starting line-up and are getting even deeper thanks to the addition of newcomers Lawrence Kuhn and Jose Rodrigo. The team will also benefit from the leadership of senior co-captain Neil Cordell, who has amassed an impressive resume in his three years with Rochester squash. Heath enumerates all of Cordell’s accolades: “Captain, CSA scholar-athlete, CSA doubles champion, three-time All American, Vitone Sportsmanship Award winner, Liberty League All-Academic Team, Garnish Scholar. Neil has won every award possible for good reason. He’s an outstanding player, leader, and scholar.” Cordell has set a high bar for his teammates, who seem ready to rise to the challenge. The Yellowjackets will be heading to Toronto for a training trip, and if everything comes together, they could go deep into the Potter Cup as well.
2014-2015 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 12-5
Final Ranking: 5
Team Championships: 5th in the Potter Cup (A Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 2 of 5… Top 3 Win %: 0.902… Middle 3 Win %: 0.6327… Lower 3 Win %: 0.5
2015-2016 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Martin Heath
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Ryosei Kobayashi (2017 – CSA First Team All-American, All-Liberty League Team, Liberty League All-Academic); 2. Mario Yanez (2017 – CSA First Team All-American, All-Liberty League Team, US Squash Intercollegiate Doubles Champion); 3. Neil Cordell (2016 – CSA Second Team All-American, CSA Scholar Athlete, All-Liberty League Team,Liberty League All-Academic, US Squash Intercollegiate Doubles Champion); 4. Tomotaka Endo (2018 – CSA Second Team All-American, All-Liberty League Team); 5. Will Mohr (2016); 6. Michelangelo Bertocchi (2018); 7. Aria Fazelimanesh (2017); 8. Meng Xiaomin (2016); 9. Benjamin Pitfield (2018); 10. Christian Riedelsheimer (2017); 11. Numair Sani (2018)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from 2014-2015 Team Championships:
Additions to the 2015-2016 Roster:
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Lawrence Kuhn
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Jose Rodrigo
Captains: Neil Cordell and Ryosei Kobayashi
Team Goals: To finish the year in the Top-4 in the national rankings
Key Matches: Columbia, Franklin & Marshall, Harvard, St. Lawrence, Trinity, and Yale
To read other team previews, please visit the 2015-2016 College Squash Season Previews page.
