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Healthy And Energized, Men's Squash Begins Chase For Ivy, National Title
November 19, 2010 | Men's Squash
Men's squash head coach Bob Callahan is in his third decade at the helm of a program he once led to a national championship as a senior captain. He is well aware of how to lead Princeton to success.
For one season, though, he may be able to rest a little. With a rare nine-strong senior class, there is no lack of leadership among the Orange and Black this year.
Led by co-captains David Letourneau and Peter Sopher, a mostly healthy and fully rejuvenated Princeton men's squash team will open its 2010-11 season this weekend by a hosting vastly improved programs in Franklin & Marshall (Saturday, 2) and Cornell (Sunday, 12).
For the first time since 2002, the Tigers won't enter the season defending either an individual or team championship. From the four-year run of Yasser El-Halaby '06 to an unprecedented four-year run as Ivy League champion, Princeton is well versed in coming into the season as the hunted.
And while they missed that role by a point last season, they seem to be basking in the role of hunter.
Leading the hunt will be sophomore Todd Harrity, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and the preseason top-ranked player in college squash. Harrity reached the individual national final last year, and the only players he lost to during his freshman season graduated last summer. A graduate of Callahan's own Episcopal Academy, Harrity won 14 matches last season and earned first-team All-America honors. After leading the U.S. to a bronze medal at the World University Games this past summer, he is looking to lead Princeton to even greater heights this winter.
He will lead a top portion of the lineup that could be the best in the nation. Three players — Letourneau and juniors Christopher Callis and Kelly Shannon — could all be legitimate No. 1 players for several top-ranked programs.
Letourneau is a three-time All-America honoree and former Ivy League Rookie of the Year. He has been a rock against Ivy League teams, going undefeated throughout his regular season career. He entered the individual national championships last season ranked fourth and was a serious contender for the title, but an early injury derailed that hope. Letourneau is hungry for another shot at the title, though returning Princeton to the top of the Ivy League mountain and getting back to the team national final is the first goal.
Both Callis and Shannon suffered through injury-plagued seasons last year, but both have proven plenty during their first two years on campus. Callis was the 2009 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and went 12-1 on the season. He battled back from injury last season to win eight matches, and went undefeated in the CSA team championships, including an impressive 3-0 win over Trinity. Considering he is now working with a full preseason, Callis could be primed to exceed even his freshman season.
Shannon would give anything for just a full season of competition to prove just how talented he is. A two-time All-America honoree despite missing significant parts of both seasons, Shannon has posted some major wins in his career; he rallied from an 0-2 hole against Trinity in the 2009 CSA team final, and he defeated the seventh-ranked Hywel Robinson of Yale last year in the individual championships. This could be the breakout season for one of the premier recruits of his class.
That quartet — which could easily shuffle spots from the start of the season through the championship weekend, considering how closely the four match up — will be called upon to make Princeton strong on top, but simple math shows that they will need help to achieve team success. After all, four players can't win five matches.
Twin brothers Peter and Philip Sopher will be among those expected to win matches in the middle of the lineup. Peter is a co-captain whose tireless work ethic has helped him move up the ladder consistently. He won 16 matches last season, the most for any Tiger player, and he has gone 28-5 over the last two seasons. His ability to wear players down led to an undefeated Ivy League season last year and a win over Trinity in the 2009 final.
Philip Sopher doesn't have his brother's experience, but he has a similar work ethic and has made one of the biggest jumps on the roster. He has gone 11-0 over the last two seasons, but he will likely be called on in Princeton's biggest matches this year. He gained important experience when injuries forced him into the lineup at the CSA championships, and he gained a 3-1 win over Rochester to help Princeton place third.
Like Sopher, senior Nikhil Seth gained important experience last year and ended up winning 10 matches, including 3-2 wins over Rochester, Dartmouth and Harvard. That experience and a strong preseason should lead Seth to his best season coming up.
Callis and Shannon may be the best-known duo of the junior class, but David Pena and Clay Blackiston could prove just as important. Pena has won 23 matches in his career, but a 2010 postseason victory could be the type of win he needed to move him to the next level. In the team semifinal against Trinity, he defeated Antonio Diaz Glez in a gutsy 3-2 win; Diaz Glez would end up reaching the individual semifinals.
Blackiston won 10 matches last season playing mostly between the seventh and ninth spots, although he had a 3-2 win at No. 6 over Navy. He went 4-1 in the Ivy League, including a 3-0 win at Harvard, and could provide steady leadership once again near the bottom of the lineup.
There are other upperclassmen vying to break into the bottom of the lineup, including seniors Ed Casserley, David MacDonald, Craig Matthews and, following the completion of the men's soccer season, both Peter and Matt Callahan.
Harrity is the lone underclassman to be a fixture in the lineup, though four others will compete for spots. Steve Harrington won three varsity matches last season, while Chris Greco played J.V. throughout the season.
The other two comprise a freshman class that may be lacking in quantity but has impressed Callahan with its quality. Ash Egan reached as high as No. 2 in the U-19 rankings and represented the U.S. this past summer in the Junior World Championships as the U.S. No. 2 player. He has progressed steadily up the ladder and could be a key player by the heart of the season.
Dylan Ward is also an impressive player, though illness has affected his preseason growth. He reached the No. 4 spot in both the boys U-17 and U-19 rankings and also competed at the Junior World Championships. Depending on how quickly he gets back on the court, he might also factor into the lineup by the heart of the season.
While Princeton seasons once centered around a single match, from Harvard in the 1990s to Trinity throughout parts of this decade, the level of competition within college squash has risen dramatically. There will be little rest in Ivy League competition, including home matches with Cornell (Sunday), Penn (Jan. 26), Dartmouth (Feb. 5) and Harvard (Feb. 6).
Princeton will also host the two top non-Ivy programs during a brutal mid-February weekend. The Tigers will host Rochester Feb. 12 in a rematch of the 2010 CSA third-place match, and they will host 12-time defending national champion Trinity Feb. 13 at 3 p.m.
The Tigers will take on reigning Ivy League champion Yale Jan. 29 at 1 p.m., one of five regular-season road matches. The CSA team championships will be held at Harvard Feb. 25-27, while the individual championships will be two weekends later at Dartmouth.
For one season, though, he may be able to rest a little. With a rare nine-strong senior class, there is no lack of leadership among the Orange and Black this year.
Led by co-captains David Letourneau and Peter Sopher, a mostly healthy and fully rejuvenated Princeton men's squash team will open its 2010-11 season this weekend by a hosting vastly improved programs in Franklin & Marshall (Saturday, 2) and Cornell (Sunday, 12).
For the first time since 2002, the Tigers won't enter the season defending either an individual or team championship. From the four-year run of Yasser El-Halaby '06 to an unprecedented four-year run as Ivy League champion, Princeton is well versed in coming into the season as the hunted.
And while they missed that role by a point last season, they seem to be basking in the role of hunter.
Leading the hunt will be sophomore Todd Harrity, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and the preseason top-ranked player in college squash. Harrity reached the individual national final last year, and the only players he lost to during his freshman season graduated last summer. A graduate of Callahan's own Episcopal Academy, Harrity won 14 matches last season and earned first-team All-America honors. After leading the U.S. to a bronze medal at the World University Games this past summer, he is looking to lead Princeton to even greater heights this winter.
He will lead a top portion of the lineup that could be the best in the nation. Three players — Letourneau and juniors Christopher Callis and Kelly Shannon — could all be legitimate No. 1 players for several top-ranked programs.
Letourneau is a three-time All-America honoree and former Ivy League Rookie of the Year. He has been a rock against Ivy League teams, going undefeated throughout his regular season career. He entered the individual national championships last season ranked fourth and was a serious contender for the title, but an early injury derailed that hope. Letourneau is hungry for another shot at the title, though returning Princeton to the top of the Ivy League mountain and getting back to the team national final is the first goal.
Both Callis and Shannon suffered through injury-plagued seasons last year, but both have proven plenty during their first two years on campus. Callis was the 2009 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and went 12-1 on the season. He battled back from injury last season to win eight matches, and went undefeated in the CSA team championships, including an impressive 3-0 win over Trinity. Considering he is now working with a full preseason, Callis could be primed to exceed even his freshman season.
Shannon would give anything for just a full season of competition to prove just how talented he is. A two-time All-America honoree despite missing significant parts of both seasons, Shannon has posted some major wins in his career; he rallied from an 0-2 hole against Trinity in the 2009 CSA team final, and he defeated the seventh-ranked Hywel Robinson of Yale last year in the individual championships. This could be the breakout season for one of the premier recruits of his class.
That quartet — which could easily shuffle spots from the start of the season through the championship weekend, considering how closely the four match up — will be called upon to make Princeton strong on top, but simple math shows that they will need help to achieve team success. After all, four players can't win five matches.
Twin brothers Peter and Philip Sopher will be among those expected to win matches in the middle of the lineup. Peter is a co-captain whose tireless work ethic has helped him move up the ladder consistently. He won 16 matches last season, the most for any Tiger player, and he has gone 28-5 over the last two seasons. His ability to wear players down led to an undefeated Ivy League season last year and a win over Trinity in the 2009 final.
Philip Sopher doesn't have his brother's experience, but he has a similar work ethic and has made one of the biggest jumps on the roster. He has gone 11-0 over the last two seasons, but he will likely be called on in Princeton's biggest matches this year. He gained important experience when injuries forced him into the lineup at the CSA championships, and he gained a 3-1 win over Rochester to help Princeton place third.
Like Sopher, senior Nikhil Seth gained important experience last year and ended up winning 10 matches, including 3-2 wins over Rochester, Dartmouth and Harvard. That experience and a strong preseason should lead Seth to his best season coming up.
Callis and Shannon may be the best-known duo of the junior class, but David Pena and Clay Blackiston could prove just as important. Pena has won 23 matches in his career, but a 2010 postseason victory could be the type of win he needed to move him to the next level. In the team semifinal against Trinity, he defeated Antonio Diaz Glez in a gutsy 3-2 win; Diaz Glez would end up reaching the individual semifinals.
Blackiston won 10 matches last season playing mostly between the seventh and ninth spots, although he had a 3-2 win at No. 6 over Navy. He went 4-1 in the Ivy League, including a 3-0 win at Harvard, and could provide steady leadership once again near the bottom of the lineup.
There are other upperclassmen vying to break into the bottom of the lineup, including seniors Ed Casserley, David MacDonald, Craig Matthews and, following the completion of the men's soccer season, both Peter and Matt Callahan.
Harrity is the lone underclassman to be a fixture in the lineup, though four others will compete for spots. Steve Harrington won three varsity matches last season, while Chris Greco played J.V. throughout the season.
The other two comprise a freshman class that may be lacking in quantity but has impressed Callahan with its quality. Ash Egan reached as high as No. 2 in the U-19 rankings and represented the U.S. this past summer in the Junior World Championships as the U.S. No. 2 player. He has progressed steadily up the ladder and could be a key player by the heart of the season.
Dylan Ward is also an impressive player, though illness has affected his preseason growth. He reached the No. 4 spot in both the boys U-17 and U-19 rankings and also competed at the Junior World Championships. Depending on how quickly he gets back on the court, he might also factor into the lineup by the heart of the season.
While Princeton seasons once centered around a single match, from Harvard in the 1990s to Trinity throughout parts of this decade, the level of competition within college squash has risen dramatically. There will be little rest in Ivy League competition, including home matches with Cornell (Sunday), Penn (Jan. 26), Dartmouth (Feb. 5) and Harvard (Feb. 6).
Princeton will also host the two top non-Ivy programs during a brutal mid-February weekend. The Tigers will host Rochester Feb. 12 in a rematch of the 2010 CSA third-place match, and they will host 12-time defending national champion Trinity Feb. 13 at 3 p.m.
The Tigers will take on reigning Ivy League champion Yale Jan. 29 at 1 p.m., one of five regular-season road matches. The CSA team championships will be held at Harvard Feb. 25-27, while the individual championships will be two weekends later at Dartmouth.
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