New London, CT — The Connecticut College Camels came close to repeating as Conroy Cup winners last season. After all, they won the 2013 – 2014 title, their fourth Conroy Cup title in the past seven years. They made it to the finals where they encountered Hamilton. Conn College only won two of their four 5-4 matches last season, and you guessed it, both those losses were to Hamilton. This season, the Camels will look to increase their win percentage in tight matches. They are focused on matches with Hamilton, Hobart, MIT, Tufts, and Virginia. Head coach Barry Ward has set a team goal “to continue to improve and to compete at a high level with good sportsmanship.” With the loss of last season’s top 2 players to graduation, the Camels will need to focus as players shift up the line-up. The team is expecting two new players to join the squad. To improve this season, the middle of the ladder will need to increase its win percentage from last season. If this can be accomplished, look for the Camels to get over the hump.
2014-2015 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 11-15
Final Ranking: 26
Team Championships: 2nd in the Conroy Cup (D Division)
By the Numbers (From US Squash): 5-4 Matches Won: 2 of 4… Top 3 Win %: 0.4444… Middle 3 Win %: 0.4198… Lower 3 Win %: 0.5065
2015-2016 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Barry Ward
Returning Players from Team Championships: 3. Matt Lillie (2017); 4. Brendan McClintick (2016); 5. John Dunham (2018); 6. Nico Premutico (2016); 7. Daniel Reisman (2018 – NESCAC All-Sportsmanship); 8. Santiago Moran (2016); 9. Rafael Gamba (2017); 10. Benji Osajie (2017 – NESCAC All-Academic); 11. Will Rogers (2018)
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from 2014-2015 Team Championships: 1. Brian Mullen (2015 – NESCAC All-Academic); 2. Mike Coscarelli (2015 – NESCAC All-Academic)
Additions to the 2015-2016 Roster: David Aldaz Jr and Louis Feingold
Captains: Nico Premutico, Brendan McClintick, and Matt Lillie
Team Goals: To continue to improve and to compete at a high level with good sportsmanship.
Key Matches: Hamilton, Hobart, MIT, Tufts, and Virginia
To read other team previews, please visit the 2015-2016 College Squash Season Previews page.
Palo Alto, CA — Stanford, the team with the most frequent flyer miles in the nation, is focused on returning to the Howe Cup (A Division) this season. After winning the Kurtz Cup (B Division) last season and only losing two top 9 players from Team Championship to graduation, this goal is within the Cardinal’s reach. They will need to contend with Cornell, Columbia, George Washington, Dartmouth, and Brown — the teams that finished above and below them last season — to accomplish their goal. With five incoming players and the return of their former #1 from a gap year, the squad appears stronger then last season. According to head coach Mark Talbott, “We are on the rise and we have incredible chemistry!” Talbott also mentioned that the team plans to “Go ghost hunting once again at Sleepy Hollow.” One of the Cardinal quad-captains, Abby Giannuzzi, will be back for her senior season. “Abby is one of those quiet seniors who leads by example and is a coach’s dream to have on the team. She consistently gives 100% and never complains. She will provide great senior leadership this season,” adds Talbott. Stanford will have renovated courts for the upcoming season, which will make their time between flights more enjoyable. Stanford is likely to be in the Howe Cup at the end of the season.
Poughkeepsie, NY — After capturing the H Division at Team Championships with a nail-biting 5-4 victory over league rival and Hudson Valley neighbor Bard, Vassar is looking to advance to the Hawthorn Cup (G Division) at the 2015 – 2015 Team Championships. Vassar concluded last season on a five-match winning streak. Vassar replaced its two graduating seniors with two first-year students with squash experience. Co-captaining the Brewers will be Tim Veit and Juan-Pablo Fernandez. According to head coach Jane Parker, “Veit started playing squash in his first year at Vassar when he registered for a PE beginner squash class. He was unanimously voted co-captain as a senior. He is likely to play in position #2 or 3 on the team.” Hudson Valley rivals Bard and Siena will be key for the Brewers this season. With a little improvement, especially at the bottom of their ladder, look for Vassar to move up the rankings.
Princeton, NJ — After earning their second straight Hoehn Cup title, Princeton is focused on returning to the Potter Cup this season. With the graduation of four of the Tigers’ top five players, Princeton will need to gel quickly with its newcomers. Last season, the middle of the ladder proved to be the Tigers’ weakness. With five new players joining the squad and two players returning from time away, the Princeton line-up should be deeper, which will allow the ladder to be stronger, especially in the middle. According to head coach Sean Wilkinson, “There are so many good teams now, that every match is important.” Princeton hopes to begin the season stronger than last year, when they lost at Navy on opening weekend. It is safe to say that the Tigers are looking forward to hosting the Midshipmen before Thanksgiving this season. Prior to his collegiate coaching days, Wilkinson coached in Italy, so he is looking forward to October when he will take the Tigers to Italy for a training trip. “We want to work as hard as possible to get in the Potter division at nationals,” adds Wilkinson.
Boston, MA — Boston College concluded last season ranked 29th in the nation. However, the team recognizes that it needs to improve its record. According to captain Caroline Whelan, “Our team goal is to make it to nationals this year with a better record than last season. We are hoping that our young team will improve to make us better competitors this season at Nationals.” The Eagles lost three seniors from last season’s starting nine at Team Championships. They are expecting nine additions to the team this season, including two players joining the top three. This could benefit the Eagles by pushing players down the ladder. Last season, the bottom third of the ladder had the best win percentage of the ladder. Matches with Haverford and Conn College will be key contests for Boston College during the regular season. Look for the Eagles to be in the mix for a finish in the top half of the Epps Cup.
Columbus, OH — Ohio State University has formed an emerging team for the 2015 – 2016 college squash season. The Buckeyes have fourteen players ready to compete. The team has a few goals for the upcoming season: to go to nationals, to finish in the top 40, and to establish lasting relationships with other squash programs across the country. A top 40 finish may be a stretch for a newly formed squad. Ohio State plans to travel to Denison for a match at the end of October. Luke Forstar jokes that, “We have a really good football team.” On a more serious note, Forstar went on to say that, “We are a team now, and we plan to host tournaments and win them.” Forming a team and competing may be the true goal for the Buckeyes this season.