We are aware of the concern college squash fans, student-athletes, and parents may have about a Harvard player’s recent PSA Challenger Tour tournament victory. While we congratulate the player for excellence in squash, we also support his institution’s decision to discipline him due to inappropriate affiliation with his school’s logo and apparel in a non-CSA outside competition. CSA is continuing to review and refine varsity squash eligibility and amateurism rules and the fairness of student-athletes participating in any competition outside of college obligations, both in season and out of season.
Harrison Gill’s No. 8-ranked Yale squad opens their season against No. 9 Drexel on Friday evening, while Navy looks to continue their winning ways. (Photo: Michael T. Bello)
After taking a break last weekend to give thanks and get some rest before the final weeks of the first semester, many college squash teams are back in action over the next week, some for the first time this season. Unlike two weekends ago, it is the men’s schedule that features a few juicy match-ups between closely ranked teams.
Right off the bat on Friday evening, the Yale University will play host to Drexel University in a contest between the No. 8- and No. 9-ranked men’s teams in the latest College Squash Team Rankings. No. 5 Rochester kicks off a key three-game stretch of matches on Friday night, with their battle against No. 6 Pennsylvania on Saturday being the marquee match. On their swing through upstate New York, the Quaker men will also meet No. 4 St. Lawrence University, who open the season with two challenging matches at home.
A few sites are acting as college squash hubs this weekend, meaning the highways between New York and Connecticut will be heavy with college squash team travel. Wesleyan University plays host to several matches throughout the weekend, welcoming Bard, Colby, Conn College, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Hobart, and William Smith to Middletown, CT. Columbia will open Ivy League play at home against Cornell on Sunday, including an inviting No. 7-vs.-No. 8 match on the women’s side that has featured several close matches in recent years, and will also play host to Virginia and New York University. Several club teams will participate in round robin play at Fordham University this weekend as well.
Other rankings-adjacent matches scheduled for this weekend include women’s matches between Wesleyan (No. 20) and Franklin & Marshall (No. 21), Vassar (No. 33) and Haverford (No. 34), and Hamilton (No. 22) and St. Lawrence (No. 24) and men’s matches between Williams (No. 21) and Tufts (No. 23) and Wesleyan (No. 31) and Bard (No. 33).
While the weekend is certainly jam-packed with matches, college squash fans will get some bonus squash during the week next week with some regional matches on the docket. Brown plays at Yale and Dartmouth heads to Harvard to open all their Ivy League slates, but it is a local Boston-based rivalry that takes top billing midweek. With a big win over Colby two weeks ago, the Tufts University men jumped up to No. 23 in the rankings, right behind their opponent on Wednesday, No. 22 MIT. Additionally, instead of traveling to Philadelphia for a traditional Ivy League match-up, Princeton will visit Drexel instead next week.
The College Squash Association has released the second Dunlop College Squash Team Rankings of the 2018-2019 season. The rankings will be released one more time this calendar year after all of the matches are complete for the first semester.
The biggest movement in the rankings compared to the initial version occurred on the men’s side in positions No. 8 through No.19. The U.S. Naval Academy caused the biggest stir with a couple of upset wins on their way to a 10-0 record. The Midshipmen had the biggest jump, moving six spots to No. 10 in this week’s rankings. Heading in the opposite direction were Princeton University and George Washington University, dropping five spots each to No. 13 and No. 14, respectively.
In that same range of rankings, Virginia climbed one position to No. 12 despite a set of up-and-down results. The Cavaliers lost to Navy, then turned around quickly to beat Princeton in their next match. Bates also won a big match against Dickinson, leapfrogging the Red Devils to No. 18.
The other notable movers on the men’s side were Tufts University, moving up four spots with a nice early-season win over then-No. 23 Colby, and Connecticut College, which swapped places with Hamilton College.
The CSA women’s team rankings were much quieter during this early period of play. Only five of the top 28 teams moved position in this week’s version of the rankings.
The University of Pennsylvania’s 5-0 start included a big win over then-No. 4 Stanford, propelling them two spots up the rankings. The Princeton University women also beat Stanford in the No. 3 versus No. 4 match-up and maintained their place. The Dickinson College women’s team were the other squad to move up, switching places with Bates to No. 17 after a close 5-4 victory.
For the first time this season, several club teams have joined the rankings after playing enough early-season matches to qualify. Boston College, Bucknell University, and Georgetown University check in at Nos. 29, 30, and 31 in the women’s rankings, while University of California-Berkeley, Stanford University, and Bucknell University lead the way at Nos. 34, 35, and 36 for the men.
The final weekend before the Thanksgiving break featured many teams playing their first matches of the season and a few early season clashes between teams ranked closely together. It was two teams who had already played matches earlier this season that stole the headlines, however.
The University of Pennsylvania women’s team entered the weekend with a gauntlet of matches ahead of them. The No. 6-ranked team got their momentum going early with a tight upset victory over No. 4 Stanford on Friday evening. Building on that result, Penn handled No. 14 George Washington 7-2 and squeaked by No. 12 Virginia 5-4 to bring their overall record so far to 5-0. The Quakers have won three of their last four matches by 5-4 scores with their top five players amassing a 19-1 record over that time.
After hosting round robin competitions on back-to-back weekends, the Navy men’s team emerged unscathed with an impressive 10-0 record to start the year. The top victories for the No. 16 Midshipmen so far have been 5-4 upset victories over Virginia and Western Ontario followed by a pair of 7-2 triumphs over MIT and Dickinson this past weekend. The Thanksgiving holiday provides a much-needed break for Navy before they put their undefeated record to the test against Middlebury and Dartmouth in two weeks.
What a great couple of weeks for Navy Squash – capped off by this terrific video from midshipmen squash fan Quinn Schneider. Midshipmen will be back in action November 30 at Middlebury. #GoNavypic.twitter.com/dtkl8UIutv
In other results, Bates and Dickinson split their matches, both in upset fashion: The Dickinson women edged Bates 5-4, but the Bates men returned the favor by the same scoreline. In the other match with potential Howe Cup implications, the No. 3 Princeton women cruised to victory over No. 4 Stanford, 7-2. On the men’s side, No. 27 Tufts men posted their own surprising result with the 5-4 win over No. 23 Colby, and No. 30 Conn College earned a nice early season upset with a 9-0 win versus No. 29 Hamilton.
Among many other matches of note, the Princeton men’s team’s matches will be memorable as the season progresses. While the No. 8 Tigers won an important victory against No. 9 George Washington on Sunday, it was the location of their match with top-ranked Trinity that stood out. As part of the festivities celebrating 100 years of squash at the University Club of New York, the club agreed to host the Trinity-Princeton intercollegiate match in their storied building. Even more impressive, the top three positions played their matches on the all-glass Oracle NetSuite SuiteSuccess Court in the Club’s historic Reading Room. The one-of-a-kind event provided a great experience for all involved and resulted in a 6-3 victory for the Trinity Bantams.
The Stanford Women start their season on the east coast with four big matches in Philadelphia.
The college squash season jumps into full gear this weekend with many teams getting their first taste of 2018-2019 regular season competition. Even with the season just getting underway, several match-ups between teams closely situated in the rankings highlight the weekend contests.
The Stanford Women’s team possibly has the toughest road of the weekend, traveling from the west coast for four matches in three days. The headliner match of their road trip – and possibly of the whole weekend – is their contest with Princeton at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on Saturday. The Number 3 and 4 teams in the CSA Preseason Rankings will square off in an early season Howe Cup preview.
The Bates Men’s and Women’s programs also have an important roadtrip in front of them, heading south to central Pennsylvania to take on Dickinson (Saturday) and Franklin & Marshall (Sunday). The Bates-Dickinson match-ups are especially important early-season barometers for both genders with all four of those teams jockeying for Top-20 positioning.
Saturday’s schedule features several other contests that will provide early-season litmus tests for teams looking to make improvements this year. The Tufts (No. 19) and Wesleyan (No. 20) women clash in another Top-20 match, while the Hamilton (No. 29) and Conn College (No. 30) men also meet in an all-NESCAC rankings-adjacent contest. The men from Virginia (No. 13) will look to build their resume further after an upset victory over No. 8 Princeton last week when they take on Drexel (No. 11) on Saturday.
Speaking of the Princeton men, they have quite the challenging weekend themselves. First, they take on top-ranked Trinity in a special event staged on Saturday at the University Club in New York City. Then, in a short turn-around, they return home on Sunday for a critical match-up with George Washington, who sits one place behind them in the preseason rankings.
This weekend also features some intriguing matches between club teams. Some of the historically successful men’s club teams, including Stanford, Denison, and Bucknell, converge at the Naval Academy for early tests. Alternately, Bard will play host to a round robin of women’s teams, including club teams Smith, Rochester, and Fordham.
Before last season, the Yale Men’s Squash team had competed in every A Division (Potter Cup) competition over at least the last 20 years. Yet after reaching the apex of the college game with a CSA National Championship in 2016, the Bulldogs founds themselves on the outside looking in only two years later. Head Coach Dave Talbott’s squad finished 10th in 2018, losing the Hoehn Cup final to George Washington University, and will need a major rebuilding effort to bounce back in 2019. The middle four players – numbers three through six – from last year’s ladder all graduated, leaving a massive vacancy in the heart of the order. Naturally, Talbott has two places from which he can find players to fill the holes: the bottom portion of the ladder, where some college-level experience already lies, or his incoming class of five first-years. The freshmen certainly have some talent to contribute right away, but they will have to work hard to get up to speed with the college game in time for their opening match of the year: a challenging test against the team right behind them in the CSA Preseason Rankings, Drexel. January will also be the critical month for Yale, as they will battle Penn, Princeton, George Washington, and Virginia for a position in the Top 8.
2017-2018 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 10-9
Final Ranking: 10
Team Championships Result: 2nd in the Hoehn Cup (B Division)
2018-2019 SEASON PREVIEW
Head Coach: Dave Talbott
Returning Players from Team Championships:
Spencer Lovejoy; 2. Harrison Gill; 7. Tyler Carney; 8. Yohan Pandole; 9. James Losty; 10. Jacob Rhee
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships:
Max Martin; 4. Arjun Kochhar; 5. Pierson Broadwater; 6. Thomas Kingshott
Additions to 2018-2019 Roster:
Patrick Feeley
Eric Kim
Nadav Raziel
Samuel Turner
Tiber Worth
Key Matches: Brown, Penn, Princeton, George Washington
For four straight years, the Amherst College Women’s Squash team ended up just on the outside of the Top 16 looking in, albeit with three Walker Cup championships. In 2018, they finally broke through to Kurtz Cup play for the first time since 2013. With hopes of retaining or improving on their position, Head Coach Peter Robson and his squad must acknowledge the challenge that lies before them. The top two players from last year’s team, All-NESCAC selections Kim Krayacich and Haley McAtee, have moved on to life after college squash. The departure of players with that much success and experience leaves a gaping hole at the top of the ladder. Into that void step seven of the eight remaining players from last year’s ladder, plus three promising newcomers with junior rankings that foreshadow success for the young trio. Rachel Ang is the only senior of the returning group and will be relied upon for steady leadership as the season gets underway. January 2019 is filled with challenging matches for Amherst, which will give the team some time to gel and gain confidence before the calendar year ends. Middlebury, Bates, and Dickinson – all teams adjacent to Amherst in the CSA Preseason Rankings – lie in wait in January, all hoping to be the team to nab the one of final few spots in the Kurtz Cup draw.
2017-2018 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 11-9
Final Ranking: 16
Team Championships Result: 8th in the Kurtz Cup (B Division)
Although none of the drops have been drastic, the Williams College Men’s Squash team has fallen down the rankings for five straight seasons – from 14 in 2014 to 21 last season. In an injury-riddled campaign that fell somewhat short of expectations, the Ephs still placed three players on the All-NESCAC teams and gained valuable match experience. Now is the time to put that extra experience to good use, as eight of the ten starters return to the lineup, including the top seven players from the ladder. Head Coach Zafi Levy will also hope to get important contributions from his two recruits, as well as key contributor A.J. Solecki, who returns from a season-ending injury sustained last year. Williams only had three seniors graduate in 2018, which means a deep squad enters the season with high hopes and battles for playing time in front of them. In order to regain their footing in the CSA rankings, Williams will have to prepare for key match-ups right after the calendar turns to 2019. Contests with Middlebury, Bates, and Colby headline the first two weekends of the new year and will be an important barometer for this Williams team’s development.
2017-2018 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 11-17
Final Ranking: 21
Team Championships Result: 5th in the Summers Cup (C Division)
2018-2019 SEASON PREVIEW
Head Coach: Zafi Levy
Returning Players from Team Championships:
Carl Shuck; 2. John Fitzgerald; 3. William Means; 4. Wyatt Khosrowshahi; 5. David Pincus; 6. Anand Butler; 7. Ben Eisenberg; 10. Will Ruggiero
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships:
Andrew Litvin; 9. Jamie Havran
Additions to 2018-2019 Roster:
Jacob Basill
Krish Bhavnani
Key Matches: Middlebury, Bates, Colby, Franklin & Marshall, MIT, Amherst
Two years ago, the Wesleyan Men’s Squash team finished its fourth straight season ranked in the top 20 in the country. In the past two seasons, however, the team’s rankings have declined, finishing 25th in 2017 and 31st in 2018. The individual highlight of 2018 was freshman Sean Choi winning the 2018 NESCAC Rookie of the Year award and also being named to the All-NESCAC First Team. Part of the reason for the downturn in results could have been a lack of college-level match experience in the team: the 2018 roster did not feature any seniors. With every starter returning to the ladder in 2018-2019, Head Coach Shona Kerr will now have a group with an extra year of experience and confidence on their side. Supplementing all of the returning players will be three additional first-years who will also look to make an impact right away. Having added depth and additional competition in practice should raise the level of competitiveness for the Cardinals in 2019. Wesleyan gets things started right away with a tough match against Tufts this weekend. Conn College, Haverford, and Hamilton also loom large as critical matches for the Cardinals as they aim to jump back to the top end of Conroy Cup play.
2017-2018 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 5-18
Final Ranking: 31
Team Championships Result: 7th in the Conroy Cup (D Division)
2018-2019 SEASON PREVIEW
Head Coach: Shona Kerr
Returning Players from Team Championships:
Sean Choi; 2. Yahya Ladiwala; 3. William Bienstock; 4. Josh Lane; 5. Kevin Le; 6. Alex Dreyfus; 7. Jackson Rubinoff; 8. William Coburn; 9. Prem Bunsermvicha; 10. Johnny Hayes
Graduated/Non-Returning Players from Team Championships: None
Additions to 2018-2019 Roster:
Andrew Doucette
Robbie Greenspan
John “Clay Rodgers
Key Matches: Tufts, Conn College, Haverford, Hamilton
