Providence, RI –Brown University has won the Kurtz Cup three times, and this season they’re in the hunt for a fourth B Division title. “Our third place finish in the Kurtz Cup last season came after a thrilling 5-4 win against Bates. Our goal has to be to get to the final and preferably win the Kurtz Cup,” says head coach Stuart le Gassick. “It is getting very competitive in this cup now, but we have the experience to be real competitors in this division.” If anyone knows how competitive the B Division is getting, it’s Brown. The Bears played five 5-4 matches last season and won four of them. Brown lost three players from their top six to graduation, including last season’s number 1 and 2, but they have a trio of captains ready to lead the team to the top of the B Division: Katherine Elliott-Moskwa, Alexandra White, and Mina Shakarshy, who is no stranger to winning crucial matches. “Every year Mina is the go-to person on the team if you want to know who is going to turn up on match day and compete. Almost everytime that Mina is on court you know that she is going to make life very difficult for her opponent as she is a fabulous competitor,” says le Gassick. Even with the increasing competition, the team still enjoys playing squash. “Our preseason so far has been intense and fun,” le Gassick reports. “We are aiming to work hard all season and make sure that being on the courts competing for Brown is fun.”
2013-2014 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 13-8
Final Ranking: 11
Team Championships: 3rd in the Kurtz Cup (B Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 4 of 5… Position with the Most Wins: #9s had 17 Wins…
2014-2015 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Stuart le Gassick
Returning Players from Team Championships: 3. Hannah Hay-Smith (2017); 4. Emily Richmond (2016); 5. Mina Shakarshy (2015 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 7. Katherine Elliott-Moskwa (2015 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 8. Skylar Murphy (2016); 9. Isabel Scherl (2017); 10. Alexandra White (2015 – CSA Scholar Athlete)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Dori Rahbar (2014 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 2. Sarah Domenick (2014 – Holleran Cup First Consolation Winner, CSA Scholar Athlete); 6. Meredith Schmidt-Fellner (2014 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 11. Kathryn Yates (2014)
Additions to the 2014-2015 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Quincy Beck (Colonel Gray Senior High School – Prince Edward Island Canada)
- Other additions: Lauren Kotin (Middle Columbia Grammar – NYC) and Katherine Pisani (Middle Harriton High School – Gladwyne, PA)
Captains: Katherine Elliott-Moskwa, Mina Shakarshy, Alexandra White
Team Goals: To win the Kurtz Cup
Key Matches: George Washington, Dartmouth, Williams, Bates, Drexel and Middlebury
To read other team previews, please visit the 2014-2015 College Squash Season Previews page.
