HomeArticlesHarvard: 2016 – 2017 Men's College Squash Season Preview

Harvard: 2016 – 2017 Men’s College Squash Season Preview

Harvard University Cambridge, MA — Harvard was plagued by injuries last season. The Crimson finished the season with a losing record, their first since the 1946 – 1947 season. According to assistant coach Hameed Ahmed, “After a couple of losses in the Ivy League last season, we’re looking to move up the rankings and to contend for the league title this year. With a strong freshman class and upperclassmen coming back from injuries, we think that it’s going to be a solid year, and we can’t wait for it to start.” A strong freshmen class may be an understatement. After all, Saadeldin Abouaish reached the final of the World Junior Championships, and Tim Brownell is  a former under 19  U.S. Junior Open Champion. The squad will be captained by Bryan Koh, who in the offseason played for Singapore at the Asian Team Championships, and Devon McLaughlin, who is returning from multiple injuries. The team is planning a trip to the Tournament of Champions where it plans to cheer on former #1 Ali Farag (2014). The Crimson will continue to volunteer with SquashBusters, Boston’s urban squash program. For Harvard to return to its winning ways, they need to improve their performance in tight matches. Last year they lost 4 of 5 5-4 matches. If improvement in that area occurs, the Crimson should be in contention for the Ivy League and national titles.

2015-2016 SEASON RECAP

Season Record: 6-7

Final Ranking: 6

Team Championships: 6th in the Potter Cup (A Division)

By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 1 of 5… Top 3 Win%: .564… Middle 3 Win%: .564… Lower 3 Win%: .564…

2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW

Program Status: Varsity

Head Coach: Mike Way

Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. David Ryan (2018 – All-Ivy League Team); 2. Bradley Smith (2018 – All-Ivy League Team); 3. Bryan Koh (2017 – All-Ivy League Team; MCSA Second Team All-American; CSA Scholar Athlete); 4. Madhav Dhingra (2018); 5. Dylan Murray (2017); 6. Alexi Gosset (2019); 7. Seif Abou Eleinen (2018); 9. Jack Cooper (2019); Jake Matthews (2016); Peter Janulis (2016); Devin McLaughlin (2017);

Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 8. Mandela Patrick (2018); 10. Matt Roberts (2016); 11. Sam Goldberg (2016);

Additions to the 2016-2017 Roster:

  • Saadeldin Abouaish (El Alsson School, Cairo, Egypt)
  • Timothy Brownell (Belmont Hill School, Belmont, MA)
  • Sean Hughes (The Haverford School, Newton Square, PA)

Captains: Bryan Koh and Devin McLaughlin

Team Goals: Contend for the Ivy League title

Key Matches: Yale, UPenn, Trinity, Rochester, St. Lawrence, Dartmouth, and Columbia

To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.

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