SquashTalk >CSA > 03-04 Williams College Mens Squash

CSA 03-04 Previews

Also see:
   CSA front page
   Season Schedules
   Rankings
   Intercollegiate News
   Team Information
   Results
   Historical 
   Hall of Fame
   Awards

And World Squash:
   SquashTalk
   Latest News
   World calendar   
   Squash Camps
   Squash Books
   Squash Videos

Squash Program 03-04 Outlook
Entering the 2003-2004 season, the Williams’ Men’s Squash Team has reason for both optimism and concern. While the Ephs lost four of their top seven players from last year, they welcome one of their strongest recruiting class along with a top player from a year abroad as they look to improve on last year’s 10th place finish. As always, Williams will play a demanding schedule with matches against every Ivy League team and powerhouse Trinity as well as important matches against Bates, Bowdoin, Hobart, Navy and Little Three rivals Amherst and Wesleyan.

Williams’ most important off-season move was retaining Head Coach Zafi Levy. Serving on an intern basis last season, Levy was rewarded for his hard work by being named full time coach of both the Men’s and Women’s programs. A passionate coach with a deep technical knowledge of the game, Levy helped every player improve last year and his continued presence will foster improvements from veterans and first years alike.

Unlike previous seasons the Ephs’ lineup this year will be very fluid as no one player guaranteed a position in the lineup. At the top the Ephs have a mix of experienced seniors and eager freshmen. Senior captain and four year varsity player Dan Bishop is the Ephs’ highest returning player. A tenacious competitor, Bishop came through with impressive wins against Bowdoin, Dartmouth, and Brown last year at his number three position and will be a known commodity wherever he plays. The only other senior is Ross Koller, who returns to the program after spending a year at the London School of Economics. A talent player with great touch who played fourth on the 6th ranked squad two years ago, Koller’s return will provide the team with more depth and experience at the top.

Joining Bishop and Koller at the top will be trio of freshmen that are the heart of Levy’s first recruited class. Both Will Walter (Andover, MA) and Andrew Pizzi (Morristown, NJ) have shown in the preseason they have the talent and the confidence to compete for the top spot in the Ephs’ lineup. In addition, Tyler Kyle (Philadelphia, PA) from Chestnut Hill Academy has shown great promise and will be counted on heavily throughout the season.
While the freshmen will occupy much of the lineup’s top half, a group of returning players will fill out the rest of the top nine. Junior Todd Herlihy returns after an impressive undefeated run at last year’s nationals at the fifth slot. A two-year varsity player who played as high as fourth last season, Herlihy will be an integral part of the lineup this year.

Further down, a group consisting of juniors Charlie Giammattei, Chris Tom, Scott Pierce, and sophomore Ted Unger come back with a year of varsity experience. Each of these players not only grew tremendously during their first year of varsity experience but also provided the Ephs with key wins at the end of the year. Pushing them for spots, though, will be freshmen Jeff Wessler (Andover, MA) and Andrew Hogan (Brooklyn, NY), both of whom have pleasantly surprised Coach Levy early on. Also joining the team this year are Owen Simpson (Haverford, PA) and Charles Howard (New York, NY), both veterans of prep school squash.

Although the heart of the season is after the New Year, the Ephs will have to hit the ground running in anticipation of early season matches against Yale, Bates, Colby and Tufts before Winter Break.

COLLEGE USA
Schedules
Team previews

DEPARTMENTS
Latest news
Tournament Calendar
Bronstein Global Gallery
Player of the month
Videos
History
Pakistan Squash
School Squash
Camp Index
Features Index
Player Profiles
Worldwide Clubs
Worldwide Links
Rankings
Jobs

More Good stuff:
About Squash
   Just starting
Books
Juniors Squash
Women's Squash
Regional Reports