Season Preview: Men’s Squash Will Count on Experience for Success in 2009-10

Pictured: Colin West, a senior co-captain of the Harvard men's squash team, is ranked No. 2 in the CSA preseason individual poll.
Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot.

The Harvard men’s squash team looks to improve upon a fourth-place at last year’s College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championship. The Crimson finished the regular season with an overall record of 7-6 and 3-3 mark in the Ivy League. Harvard enters the season ranked fifth in the CSA preseason national poll.

Harvard returns 14 players from last season’s squad, six seniors, five juniors and three sophomores. Among those returning are senior co-captains Frank Cohen and Colin West. West took third-place at last year’s CSA Individual Championship and begins the 2009-10 campaign as the second-ranked player in the CSA preseason national individual poll. He has attained All-American status twice and will aim to become the 12th player in program history to earn All-Ivy honors four times. West posted an 11-2 record at the top spot in 2008-09. Also returning for the Crimson is junior Richard Hill. Hill finished last season with a 10-3 record, the second-best on the team behind West.

Earlier this year, head coach Satinder Bajwa announced the addition of four newcomers. Charles Gertler, Alexander Ma, Jason Michas and Zeke Scherl will all compete to earn a spot in the starting lineup this year.

Harvard will play a demanding schedule once again this winter. The season begins with three straight road matches. The Crimson will travel to Brown to start the season Nov. 20 and will play matches at Williams Nov. 22 and Dartmouth Dec. 2 before its first home match of the season. Harvard makes its return to Barnaby Courts Dec. 5 as the Crimson hosts Cornell. After the match against the Big Red, Harvard won’t compete again until 2010 when it takes on Rochester Jan. 23 at home. A trip to perennial powerhouse Trinity will precede the final two home matches of the season. The six seniors will play their final home matches of their careers as the Crimson takes on Penn, Feb. 6, and Princeton, Feb. 7. Harvard closes out the season on the road against Yale.

The Crimson will compete at the CSA Team Championships in New Haven, Conn. Feb. 19-21. Harvard will try to reach the final match of the CSA Team Championships for the first time since 2004-05. The CSA Individual Championships will take place Mar. 5-7 in Hartford, Conn.

The Crimson has plans to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity this year and continue to volunteer with Kids Squash Program, a free community squash program for local players.