Hartford, CT — Last season marked the first time in 19 seasons that Trinity did not play in the Potter Cup (national championship) final. After losing to Rochester 4-5 in the Potter Cup semifinal, Trinity rebounded to finish 3rd in the nation with a 5-4 victory over St. Lawrence. The good news for the Bantams, the reigning NESCAC champions for the past decade, is that the team only lost one player from last season’s Team Championships to graduation, and they only have one senior in the top 9. That means Trinity is very young this season. Head coach Paul Assaiante, last season’s co-NESCAC Coach of the Year, explains that “we are excited for this coming year. We are very young and so the learning curve for many will be steep. There are 10 teams that on any given day are extremely dangerous.” Assaiante, who will be inducted into the US Squash Hall of Fame on October 14th, is focused on bringing his young squad together and have them realize their potential. As part of that effort, his team will continue to volunteer with Capital Squash, Hartford’s urban squash program. Assainate wants all to know that his team “will be focused not on individual accolades but on the team’s journey.” Trinity’s road to the Potter Cup may be challenging, but Assaiante and the Bantams are up for the test.
2015-2016 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 21-2
Final Ranking: 3
Team Championships: 3rd in the Potter Cup (A Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 2 of 4… Top 3 Win%: .797… Middle 3 Win%: .899… Lower 3 Win%: .855…
2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Paul Assaiante (co-NESCAC Men’s Coach of the Year)
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Rick Penders (2018 – NESCAC First-Team; NESCAC All-Academic; MCSA First Team All-American); 2. Michael Craig (2019); 4. Tom De Mulder (2019); 5. James Evans (2018 – NESCAC Second-Team; NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team; NESCAC All-Academic); 6. Affeeq Ismail (2017 – NESCAC Second-Team); 7. Omar Allaudin (2018 – NESCAC All-Academic); 8. Nku Patrick (2019); 9. Mudit Pant (2019); 10. Tor Christofferson (2019); 11. Will Douglas (2018);
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 3. Juan Vargas (2016 – NESCAC First-Team; NESCAC All-Academic; MCSA Second Team All-American);
Additions to the 2016-2017 Roster:
- Kush Kumar
- Thoboki Moholo
- Andrew Lee
- Yehia Essam
- Patrick O’Sullivan
- Alex Dolente
Captains: Nick Giacco, Affeeq Ismail, and Rick Penders
Team Goals: To play closer to potential and have players fully committed to the great good
Key Matches: All matches
To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.
