New Haven, CT — Ivy League champions Yale nearly put an end to Trinity’s hold on the national team title in last season’s Potter Cup final, with the contest coming down to the final match.
The Bulldogs will get their next shot at Trinity when they host the Bantams on January 18. While Trinity has lost many varsity players, Yale graduated only two of its top nine players. Three new players — Joseph Roberts, Huw Robinson, and Sam Shleifer — will be joining the team. If Robert’s and Robinson’s names sound familiar, they should: they each have a brother on the team.
Irish national champion John Rooney will join the Yale coaching staff as assistant men’s and women’s coach, and Pam Saunders has been elevated to associate head coach. The Yale facility has also had an upgrade with new lights, freshly sanded floors, and repainted courts and galleries.
Head coach Dave Talbott describes the men’s and women’s programs as “geared for hard work but also geared for fun and in the spirit of college athletics,” with a “solid perspective of what the whole experience should be.”
2010-2011 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 15-2 (Ivy League champions)
Final Ranking: 2
Team Championships: 2nd in Potter Cup
2011-2012 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: David Talbott
Returning Players from Team Championships: (1) Hywel Robinson (Second Team All-American), (3) Kenneth Chan (Second Team All-American, All-Ivy League Team), (4) Richard Dodd (Second Team All-American, All-Ivy League Team), (5) John Roberts, (7) Ryan Dowd, (8) Robbie Berner (CSA Scholar Athlete), (9) Neil Martin
Graduated/Non-returning players from 2010-2011 Team: (2) Naishadh Lalwani (Second Team All-American), (6) John Fulham, (10) CJ Plimpton, (11) Mike Maruca (CSA Scholar Athlete)
Additions to the 2011-2012 roster:
- Expected to play 8-9: Joseph Roberts and Huw Robinson
- Expected to play outside the top 9: Sam Shleifer
Captain: Ryan Dowd
Team Goals: To win the Ivy League for the 3rd straight year and compete again for a National Championship
Key Matches: Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, and Trinity
To read other team previews, please visit the 2011-2012 College Squash Season Previews page.
