Waterville, ME — With four Summers Cup titles to their name, the Colby College Mules have won the C Division more times than any other team. But if the team is to take the Summers Cup back to Maine this season, they’ll have to do it with many new faces in the line-up.
The Mules have lost half of their National Team Championships roster to graduation, opening up holes across the ladder. Sophomore Harry Smith, who was 2nd-team All-NESCAC in his first season of collegiate play, will be back at the top of the line-up. Junior Alex Fulton will lead the young squad, which only has one senior among the returning players from last season. Four first-year players — Peter Jones, Pete Gabranski, Will Sullivan, and Stephan Nodder — will join the team and are expected to play in the middle of the ladder, with Sullivan likely to play in the upper-middle.
The team opens the season in late November against MIT and Northeastern in Boston. Colby beat both teams handily last season, so they should be good matches to see where the team stands. They should also help the new players get used to college-level play before the team heads down to Hartford to face Trinity in their first match back after winter break. Key match-ups for Colby will be with Middlebury, St. Lawrence, Hamilton and Columbia, teams the Mules will all face in January.
Colby moved from 25th to 19th in the national rankings last season, and if they can continue that progress this season, the future looks bright for this young team.
2008-2009 Season Recap
FINAL RANKING: 19th
NATIONAL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: 19th; 3rd in Summers Cup (C Division)
2009-2010 Season Preview
Returning Players from Team Championships: Harry Smith ’12 (1; 2nd Team All-NESCAC); Alex Fulton ’11 (3; will be abroad in the fall); Nat Cooper ’12 (7); Daniel Lesser ’11 (8); Will Greenberg ’12 (11); Ken Cramer ’10 (12)
Graduating/Non-returning Players from Team Championships: Jake Leiby (2); Justin Russell (4); Alex Place (5); Harry Goldstein (6); Steve Holt (9); Dan Heinrich (10)
Additions for the 2009-2010 Roster: Peter Jones ’13, Pete Gabranski ’13, Will Sullivan ’13, and Stephan Nodder ’13
Captain: Alex Fulton
Team Goals: To continue to rise in the rankings and capture the Summers Cup once more
Key Matches: Middlebury, St. Lawrence, Hamilton and Columbia
To read other team previews, please visit the 2009 – 2010 College Squash Preview Page.
