Hartford, CT — Trinity’s thirteenth consecutive national title didn’t come easily, as Yale took the Bantams to the wire in a thrilling 5-4 decision. Trinity finished the season with an unblemished 20-0 record and a fifth consecutive NESCAC championship.
Will the Bantams be able to continue their competitive success this season? They have lost twelve seniors to graduation, including six of the ten players who competed in the Potter Cup finals. The loss of so many key players may provide other top teams with the opportunity they have been waiting for. Then again, Trinity has proved time and time again that they can win even against steep odds. Trinity does have five new players joining the squad. They include Elroy Leong, John Lamont, Robert Zindman, and Pranay Merchant, all first-year players, and Juan Diego Lopez, a transfer student. Andres Vargas, who graduated last year, will be joining the coaching staff this season as an assistant coach.
Trinity will open the season in Maine, playing Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin in one weekend. The Bantams will face their first A Division opponent in January when they host Cornell. Trinity’s rematch against Yale will be in New Haven on January 18th.
“Trinity men’s squash has had a dramatic shift in strength based on the fact that twelve players graduated in 2011. Many of these players were first and second team All-Americans,” notes coach Paul Assaiante. “The challenge for this year’s team is to not focus on what teams at Trinity accomplished before, but rather on what we can do as a group this year.”
Other teams — and the squash community in general — will be watching to see what this new group can do, too.
2010-2011 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 20-0 (National Champions, NESCAC champions)
Final Ranking: 1
Team Championships: 1st in Potter Cup
2011-2012 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Paul Assaiante
Returning Players from Team Championships: (1) Vikram Malhotra (First Team All-American, First Team All-NESCAC), (6) Antonio Diaz (Second Team All-NESCAC), (7) Johan Detter (NESCAC All-Academic Team), (8) Juan Flores, Matt Mackin, Miled Zarazua, Greg Crane
Graduated/Non-returning players from 2010-2011 Team: (2) Parth Sharma (First Team All-American, First Team All-NESCAC, NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team), (3) Andres Vargas (First Team All-American, Second Team All-NESCAC), (4) Chris Binnie (Second Team All-American, Second Team All-NESCAC, CSA Scholar Athlete, NESCAC All-Academic Team), (5) Randy Lim (Second Team All-American, First Team All-NESCAC. NESCAC Player of the Year, NESCAC All-Academic Team), (9) Daniel Echevarria (NESCAC All-Academic Team, CSA Scholar Athlete), (10) Travis Judson, (11) Gedd Disesa
Additions to the 2011-2012 roster: John Lamotte, Elroy Leong, Juan Diego Lopez, Alexander Lynch, Pranay Merchant, and Robert Zindman
Team Goals: To focus on what they can accomplish as a group
To read other team previews, please visit the 2011-2012 College Squash Season Previews page.
