Evanston, IL — Over the past few years, the Northwestern Wildcats have become a fixture in the Conroy Cup, usually finishing near the top of the “D” Division. They finished 28th in the nation last season, concluding the year with a winning record. Will this be the season the Wildcats crack the top 25?
One of the key matches for Northwestern will be with 24th-ranked Denison, the top team in the Midwest and second only to Stanford in the national club standings. When Northwestern and Denison faced off last season, the Big Red came away with a decisive 8-1 victory.
The one Wildcat to win against Denison, Jay Dalal, will be back at number 1. He will also be the team’s captain, taking over for Akhil Daswani, who graduated along with Eugene Kim and Diana Sands. Daswani and Kim played behind Dalal in the ladder, and Eitezaz Mahmood, a new member of the team, should fill in one of the top three spots. Continued improvement from all players will be a key to taking the team to the next level.
2009-2010 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 9-7
Final Ranking: 28
Team Championships/Conference: 28th Overall; 4th in Conroy Cup (D Division)
2010-2011 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Club
Head Coach: Jonas Laursen
Returning Players from Team Championships: Will Benedict (4); Jay Dalal (1); Andrew Liu (6); Gabe Parra (7); Chan Moon Park (8); Vivan Som (9);
Graduates on Last Season’s Team Championships Roster: Akhil Daswani (2; 2009-2010 Captain); Eugene Kim (3); Diana Sands (10)
Additions to the 2010-2011 Roster: Eitezaz Mahmood (expected to play in the top three)
Captain: Jay Dalal
Team Goals: Break into the C Division
Key Matches: Denison and Northeastern
To read other team previews, please visit the 2010 – 2011 College Squash Preview Page.
