Cambridge, MA — In his first two seasons at MIT, head coach Thierry Lincou has quietly put together the best two seasons in the Engineers’ squash history. Last year’s 18 wins were the most wins by an MIT squad in the program’s long and storied history. To put that in perspective, Lincou’s 29 victories in two seasons matches the win total of the previous four MIT seasons. The Engineers are expecting five additions to the roster who should all compete for ladder positions, including two freshmen with aspirations of joining the top 3. This would greatly assist MIT by pushing last year’s top 3, who had a combined .753 win percentage, down the ladder, and it would also allow the team to strengthen the lower 3, which had a .457 win percentage last season. According to Lincou, “With the strongest recruiting class in the history of the MIT program, we are excited about our future. Change won’t happen overnight, but we expect our ranking to reflect this progress and for the team to move up in the national rankings. This is only the beginning for MIT as we look to become a top squash program in addition to being the #1 science and engineering university in the world.” Captaining the team for the second year will be Tyler Finkelstein. Lincou adds, “Since we have a relatively young team, with the top of the ladder made up of freshmen and sophomores, Tyler’s leadership is going to be pivotal this season in setting the tone for effort we expect to be put in every day at practice. It’s only through his leadership and commitment that we will be able to reach our full potential as a team.” Although they are young, don’t be surprised to see MIT move up the rankings and contend for a Conroy Cup title. If things go perfectly for the Engineers, they may even sneak into the Summers Cup.
2015-2016 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 18-9
Final Ranking: 30
Team Championships: 6th in the Conroy Cup (D Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 3 of 5… Top 3 Win%: .753… Middle 3 Win%: .704… Lower 3 Win%: .457…
2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Thierry Lincou
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Justin Restivo (2019); 2. Tyler Finkelstein (2017 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 3. Nikhil Punwaney (2017 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 4. Jeff Hu (2018); 5. Dominic Hansford (2017); 7. Peter Griggs (2019); 9. Elisabeth Wei (2019);
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 6. Bowen Baker (2016 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 8. Marina Crowe (2016 – CSA Scholar Athlete); 10. Aaron Zwiebach (2016); 11. David Kang (2016);
Additions to the 2016-2017 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 3: Avery Lamp (2020), Vedaant Kukadia (2020)
- Expected to play in the middle 3: Neel Das (2020)
- Expected to play in the bottom 3: Wonjune Kang (2020)
Captain: Tyler Finkelstein
Team Goals: To be competitive in the Summers Division
Key Matches: Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Hobart, Stanford, Dickinson
To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.
