Rochester, NY — Last season, Rochester almost captured the Potter Cup (national title). The Yellowjackets fell just short, losing 4-5 to Yale, but achieved their best finish, #2 ranking, in their program’s 58-year history. Not to be outdone individually, Rochester’s Mario Yanez and Ryosei Kobayashi met in the Pool Trophy (individual championship) semifinal, with Kobayashi becoming the first Yellowjacket to play for the individual national championship. This season, Rochester returns 3 of their 4 All-Americans from last season. Head coach Martin Heath, last season’s Liberty League Coach of the Year, wants to regain the league crown. After six consecutive titles, the Yellowjackets have dropped the past two titles to rival St. Lawrence. With the Liberty League being represented in the Potter Cup final by St. Lawrence in 2015 and Rochester in 2016, Heath reminds fans that “There is life beyond the Ivies and NESCACs.” Despite the graduation of two players from last season, the Yellowjackets have three talented freshmen who will be in the mix for positions in the ladder. If captains Kobayashi and Tomotaka Endo can bring the newcomers into the fold, watch for Rochester to be in the mix for the national title again this season.
2015-2016 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 11-4
Final Ranking: 2
Team Championships: 2nd in the Potter Cup (A Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 3 of 6… Top 3 Win%: .822… Middle 3 Win%: .778… Lower 3 Win%: .600…
2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Martin Heath (Liberty League Coach of the Year)
Returning Players from Team Championships: 1. Mario Yanez (2017 – MCSA First Team All-American; Liberty League All-League Team); 2. Ryosei Kobayashi (2017 – Liberty League All-League Team; Liberty League All-Academic; MCSA First Team All-American); 4. Tomotaka Endo (2018 – Liberty League All-League Team; Liberty League All-Academic; MCSA Second Team All-American); 5. Lawrence Kuhn (2019 – Liberty League Honorable Mention); 6. Aria Fazelimanesh (2017); 7. Michelangelo Bertocchi (2018 – Liberty League All-Academic); 8. Benjamin Pitfield (2018 – Liberty League All-Academic); 10. Rodrigo Porras (2019); 11. Christian Riedelsheimer (2017);
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: 3. Neil Cordell (2016 – Liberty League All-League Team; Liberty League All-Academic; MCSA Second Team All-American; CSA Scholar Athlete); 9. Meng Xiaomin (2016 – Liberty League All-Academic);
Additions to the 2016-2017 Roster:
- Expected to play in the top 5: Ricardo Lopez
- Expected to play in the top 9: Matthew Toth and Alexander Riedelsheimer
Captains: Ryosei Kobayashi and Tomotaka Endo
Team Goals: Win the Liberty League title and finish in the top-3 nationally
Key Matches: St. Lawrence, Trinity, Harvard, Penn and Yale
To read other team previews, please visit the 2016-2017 College Squash Season Previews page.
Medford, MA — Tufts will be a young team this season. In fact, according to head coach Joe McManus, “There are no seniors on this year’s team. Seven of our nine players expected to play in the top 9 are freshmen or sophomores.” The team was perfect (3 for 3) in 5-4 matches last year. This experience will be crucial as the Jumbos continue to grow. The team is looking to move higher in the rankings and higher in the Walker Cup draw. Tufts is eyeing matches with Hamilton, Colby, Bates, Connecticut, Dickinson, St Lawrence, and Wellesley. These matches will show how the team is maturing. NESCAC matches are always vital. The Jumbos intend to be a factor in the main NESCAC tournament draw this season. Tufts’ incoming class features three players, two of whom should compete for spots in the top 3, while the other is expected to fight for a spot in the middle 3. The Jumbos’ ladder appears the deepest it has been in years, which will only help the team lay the ground work for future seasons. Look for the 2016 – 2017 Tufts squad to be the launching point for success over the next few seasons.
Philadelphia, PA — Drexel continued its rise in the rankings last season. The Dragons won the Hoehn Cup (B Division) final at the Men’s College Squash Association National Team Championships and finished the year ranked 9th. According to assistant coach 
Williamstown, MA — Williams has a simple goal: finish the season as a top-10 ranked team. The last time Williams finished inside the top-10 was 2010, when the Ephs finished 8th. To achieve their goal, Williams needs more wins out of the middle of its line-up. A few more victories from the middle 3 could vault the Ephs up the rankings. The team returns 7 of 9 players from the starting line-up at last season’s team championships. It has three players joining the program, which should make for a very competitive ladder. The team will be training in California for six days during the semester break. Last season, Williams captured another Little Three crown, making them 16 for 16 this century. In addition, the Ephs finished second in the NESCAC tournament, a position they would like to equal or exceed this season. Wiliams recognizes that the competition continues to be more challenging. Not surprisingly, it is focusing on teams from last season’s B division, as well as squads from the top of the C Division. Look for the Ephs to be in the hunt for the Kurtz Cup this season.
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 
Middletown, CT — Last season’s Epps Cup (D Division) champions at the Women’s College Squash National Team Championships, Wesleyan is focused on returning to the Walker Cup (C Division). According to head coach Shona Kerr, “We are going to work hard to make the C Division and be competitive.” The Cardinals know that matches against top-25 teams, especially NESCAC opponents, will be key to their success. Last season, Wesleyan’s ladder was strongest at the top. Number one player Laila Samy made it to the semifinals of the Ramsay Cup (individual championship). For Wesleyan to make the jump to the Walker Cup, the lower third of its ladder needs to step up. Last year, the lower 3 only had a .381 win percentage. For years, Wesleyan has utilized video review on select courts. This season, additional cameras have been installed to further enhance that process. The school has also added additional fitness equipment to the Rosenbaum Squash Center. The Cardinals are planning a trip to New York City to watch the Tournament of Champions during the second semester. Kerr adds that Wesleyan is “bright eyed and eager to train together. It is a highly engaged and supportive group that can achieve their goals.” If Wesleyan can get more wins from the lower part of its ladder, watch for the Cardinals to return to the Walker Cup.
Annapolis, MD — For 2016 – 2017, Navy will continue to have two focuses: doubles and singles. The Midshipmen are looking forward to the intercollegiate doubles championship in October, which last year Senen Ubina and graduate Bill Kacergis captured. Navy will also be entering the mixed doubles competition. After doubles, the focus will return to singles team play. Randy Beck, who will train to be a naval aviator, will lead the team that graduated a single player last season. The team has two talented freshmen joining the team, as well as two sophomores and a junior making the jump into the ladder. Navy’s facility has been upgraded to include a new team locker room, players’ lounge, and a coaches’ office. According to head coach Craig Dawson, the team’s goal is to “move up the team rankings.” The Midshipmen are no strangers to close matches. Last season, they captured 4 of 6 5-4 matches. To accomplish their goal of finishing higher in the team rankings, they will need to continue that trend. The experienced line-up should help. Jack Herold, the top player from last season, trained at the US Squash Academy at Trinity this summer. That extra experience should help better the entire team. During the season, the squad will be traveling to San Fransisco and Toronto. The Midshipmen continue to volunteer with Baltimore’s SquashWise, and while they are in California, Navy will conduct a squash clinic for the San Francisco urban squash program. An experienced line-up with players fighting for ladder positions should push the Midshipmen higher in this season’s rankings.
Middlebury, VT — In his first season at the helm of Middlebury, head coach Mark Lewis guided the Panthers to a season-ending ranking of 15th in the nation. This season, the Panthers would like to improve their .500 record. According to Lewis, “We’d like to finish in the top 16 nationally and be 2nd in the NESCAC.” To best their 3rd place finish at NESCACs last season, matches with Bates and Williams will be key to determine the Panther’s NESCAC seeding and NESCAC tournament finish. The team graduated three of their top-four players from last season, so players will need to step up as the Panthers look to accomplish their goals. Leading the squad will be captains Audrey Ellen, a former walk on who played #8 last season, and Liddy Renner. Adding to their beautiful home courts will be new monitors to track match scores via Club Locker. Lewis add that Middlebury “is a close knit team with a great work ethic and desire to improve.”