POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 6, 2014) – The Vassar College men's and women's squash team will take on New York University and Haverford College on Saturday November, 8th. The teams will play at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at Kenyon Hall.
 
Game Details
Opponent: vs. New York University, Haverford College
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Kenyon Hall (200)
Date: November 8, 2014
Time:  1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats)

A Look at the Violets
Last season the men's team finished third in the Serues Cup (F Division) and 42nd overall in the national rankings. The team would like to move into at least the Chaffee Cup (E Division) and a top-35 ranking position this season. The team lost two seniors and is still in the process of filling those positions.

The women finished last season with a 4-6 record and a third place finish in the E Division at Team Championships.  The team would like to maintain or exceed their top-35 ranking from last season. To improve, the squad will need to defeat teams like Haverford, who beat NYU twice in the regular season and in the E Division semifinals last season.

Returning Players from Men's Team Championships: 1. Max McAfferty (2017); 2. Andrew Fu (2015); 3. Aditya Kochar (2016); 5. Andre Li (2015); 6. Arvind Ramgopal (2017); 7. Jay Prasad (2017); 8. Lucen Diadul (2017); 10. William Mixter (2017); 11. Matt Schumann (2016)

Returning Players from Women's Team Championships: 1. Michelle Yagnatovsky (2015); 2. Katherine Bouton (2015); 3. Claudia Kronfield (2017); 4. Haley Sangiacomo (2016); 6. Joanne Ou (2015); 7. Genevieve Tang (2015); 8. Rachel Lu (2016); 10. Calixta Lee (2015)

Against NYU All-Time
Vassar has only had one contest against NYU, which took place in 2012. The Violets bested the men's team, while the Brewers came out on top for the women's.

A Look at the Fords
The men's team graduated five players from last season's National Team Championships. Yet the top of last season's ladder was underclassmen, which is a good sign for the Fords. With only one senior on this year's squad, this season has potential to be a fantastic learning and growth opportunity.

The women's team captured the past two E Division titles. After just missing out on the final spot for the Epps Cup (D Division) last season, the Fords want to move higher in the rankings. With seven players returning from last season's team championships, the Fords will benefit from experience. They improved throughout the season last year, demonstrated by an opening match 5-4 victory over NYU, and then a 7-2 victory against that same squad at team championships. 

Returning Players from Men's Team Championships: 1. Nate Vestrich-Shade (2016); 2. Aaron Horwitz (2017); 3. Laurenson Ward (2016); 4. Will Greer (2016);  10. Zack Kaden (2015); 11. Chris Hoogstraten (2017)

Returning Players from  Women's Team Championships: 2. Bethany Simmonds (2016); 3. Alex Love (2015); 5. Isabel Agnew (2017); 6. Samara Flug (2015); 7. Alyssa Kaden (2016); 8. Rachael Garnick (2017); 9. Emily Berlin (2016); 10. Ava Lichauco (2016); 11. Emilia Cobbs (2017); Avery Weisel (2015)

Against Haverford All-Time
The Vassar men's squash team first played Haverford in 1988 and have maintained a 17-10 record all-time. For the women, the Brewers first faced the Fords in 1990 and have had a dominant record of 30-3 overall.

Undefeated
Junior Tim Boycott was undefeated at the Hudson Valley College Squash Individual Championships held in Kenyon Hall. He went 3-0 knocking off two Vassar teammates, and an opponent from Bard College. He was also named Liberty Performer of the Week.

Nice Playing
Freshman standout Hannah Nice played in the "A" division Saturday, and was the only female in the bracket. Nice went 1-2 on the afternoon, but she was in each match including a five-set comeback win over Matt Lampeter of Bard College.

Shining Senior
Senior Noah Kulick took third-place in the "C" bracket, finishing the day with a definitive win over Sat Srikrishnan of Bard College, 11-2, 11-3 and 11-3.

Dynamic Duo
Seniors Ellie Opdahl and Karina Primelles went undefeated last weekend, both holding records of 3-0 on the year.  Opdahl bested two opponents from Fordham University along with a Vassar teammate, while Primelles earned victories against two opponents from Bard College and one against a fellow teammate.

Fiery Freshman
Freshman Cherlyann Mucciolo made it to the "D" Division finals, knocking off her men's squad teammates Manav Dalmiya and Lucas Fifer in straight sets along the way.

Solid Sophmores
Of the eleven players on the men's team, six are sophomores. Having such a young team means that there is a lot of room to grow for the Brewers throughout the season and the seasons to come.

Up Next
The two teams will have a weekend off before getting back on the courts for the Liberty League Championships, which will be held in Kenyon Hall on Saturday November, 22^nd.