• Sport Home
• |
• Roster
• |
• Schedule
• |
• Stats
• |
• Archives

Oct. 24, 2007

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy squash team's quest to put together its third 20-win season in the last four years, while also moving up in the College Squash Association standings begins this weekend when the Mids open their season at the Northwestern Tournament in Evanston, Ill. The first collegiate matches of the season, Navy will face the host Northwestern Wildcats on Friday at 6:30 pm before facing off against Denison on Saturday at 10:00 am and Western Ontario at 4:00 pm.

"The Navy squash team is looking forward to our return to the Chicago area and three tough matches at Northwestern," said eighth-year Navy head coach Craig Dawson. "We have prepared well and we're ready to challenge some new faces after battling each other in practice for the last month. The trip will be exciting for freshmen Allan Lutz our No. 4 player, who grew up in the area, and Brad Seidel, our No. 7 player whose family will drive from Toledo, Ohio to watch him play his first collegiate match. Also senior Brian Hamilton will be returning to his hometown.

"Northwestern on Friday night will be tricky, playing on its home courts," added Dawson. "Denison on Saturday is a big rival and the team will need to play well to win. Meanwhile, Western Ontario on Saturday afternoon will be a challenge, our third match in 24 hours. Hopefully our training and conditioning will help us spring an upset."

Fresh off one of its most successful seasons on the squash courts, Navy is looking forward to what challenges await it in 2007-08. Last year the Mids produced a 23-8 record, marking the second time in the last three years they have topped the 20-win mark and only the fourth time in school history. Additionally, it was the first time in program history that Navy has put together four consecutive seasons with 18-plus wins.

In 2003-04, the Mids produced an 18-12 record, followed by a record-breaking season in which Navy turned in a school-record 24 wins. In 2005-06, the Mids came up just shy of 20 wins as they posted a 19-8 record and a 15th-place finish at the College Squash Association Team Championship.

In addition to its 23 wins, Navy won its opening two matches at the College Squash Association Team Championship en route to a 10th-place finish, its highest under the head coach Craig Dawson's watch. Two weeks after the team championship, Navy's Nils Mattsson and Jeff Sawin met in the championship match of the Molloy Division of the CSA Individual Championship. Mattsson earned the 3-2 come-from-behind victory to become Navy's first winner of the tournament.

The bar has been set, but with seven of its nine members of the ladder returning, including four of the top five, Dawson is looking forward to setting new challenges for his Midshipmen.

"We have a great deal of experience returning with eight of the top 10 players coming back," said Dawson. "In addition, four players have taken the step from JV to varsity and several freshmen are challenging for spots on the team. I look forward to the competition making our Navy team stronger and more talented throughout the lineup."

Last week Navy held its annual Barb Tournament, a round robin competition that sets the ladder for the season opener. Senior Tucker George (West Hartford, Conn.) fought off a 2-0 deficit against sophomore Nils Mattsson (Spring House, Pa.) to become the Academy's first four-time winner of the Barb Trophy and will begin his quest to become Navy's first All-American in more than a decade. Senior captain Jeff Sawin (Haverford, Pa.) held off Allan Lutz (McLean, Va.) for the No. 3 spot, while second-year standout Ben Mantica (Binghamton, N.Y.) defeated junior Michael John Beautyman Jr (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) to claim the fifth position on the ladder. Rookie Brad Seidel (Toledo, Ohio) swept Christopher Zipf (Gladwyne, Pa.) to earn the No. 7 spot, while junior Allen Hartley (Charleston, W.Va.) edged senior Brian Hamilton (Lake Forest, Ill.) for the ninth and final spot on the ladder.

### Go Navy ###