PSA Launches Live Squash Website
January 20th, 2010 Mithun Mukherjee posted in Events, General | Comments »
Come join us at Midtown Athletic Club on Sunday afternoon for a taste of PSA SquashTV.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
 |
 
|
JP Morgan Tournament of Champions – LIVE webcast at Midtown Athletic Club
January 18th, 2010 Mithun Mukherjee posted in Events, General | Comments »
NOTE from SquashRochester: Many thanks to Midtown Athletic Club and Peter Brizee for making this possible. Please forward this email and invite your friends, especially the non-squash playing ones to witness this wonderful spectator event. Arrangements at Midtown are excellent with a brilliant large screen HDTV, excellent sound, enough comfortable seating for a large crowd and a cafe nearby for a meal while you watch and mingle with the squash community. Plus the live streaming from the new PSASquash.TV service is world class with multiple camera angles, zoom, replays and commentary bringing professional squash to a whole new level making squash a true spectator sport!
Also check out TocSquash.Com and the Squashsite ToC mini-site for entire schedule of events from Grand Central.
Rochester v. Yale – THIS Sunday
January 8th, 2010 Mithun Mukherjee posted in College Squash, Events, General | Comments »
From Coach Heath: “Rochester defeated Yale 5-4 last year at Nationals in what was one of the most nail-biting finishes ever in college squash.Freshman Matt Domenick was up against Junior and season-long No.1 Aaron Fuchs in the deciding match. Matt pulled off an incredible 3-2 victory against his more experienced opponent to send Rochester into the semi-finals. This was the first time Rochester had beaten Yale and their first time they would compete in the semi-finals of the CSA Nationals. This result reversed an enjoyable 5-4 tussle between Yale & Rochester at Yale during the season. Yale rallied from behind to clinch some unlikely victories and the overall match 5-4, though this loss made the reversal all the more sweet for Rochester later in the season. Yale look to have a very strong recruiting year, and while they lose two solid performers from their mid-order in Colin Campbell & Francis Johnson, they look to have improved their overall standard. The result is far from being predictable, though Rochester will have the home court advantage this year.” |
2009 CSA Championship Rochester vs. Yale 02/20/2009 Clinching the last and deciding match for University of Rochester in the team’s 5-4 win over Yale, Freshman Matt Domenick breaks a string at match ball, then returns to the court to win the gruelling 5 game match against his Yale opponent, Aaron Fuchs. The exuberant team swarms him to soak in the historic win that nets a minimum top four team finish. |
They face off again this Sunday after almost a year. The Bulldogs will be looking for sweet revenge but the Yellowjackets have the home court advantage. So come give it to them!
When: Sunday, January 10, 2010, 1:00pm-4:00pm
Where: Lyman Squash Courts, University of Rochester
RSVP on Facebook
Rochester Alum John Illig on Rochester vs Princeton
December 15th, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in College Squash, Events, General | Comments »
Middlebury squash coach and Rochester alum John Illig chronicles an excellent play by play of the day’s events in this excellent piece for the CSA website:
“…The cheering for the victory was loud, but brief. Princeton players had fought hard and were disappointed, but again they were all-class. And Rochester, in victory, was all-class: VERY respectful. All these players know each other. They’re friends. And that’s how you play the game, even when the nation’s 2-3 spot is at stake….”
Read the entire article at the CSA Website.
Photos by Paul Schwartz:
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
The Yellowjackets pull it off
December 13th, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in College Squash, Events, General | Comments »
In the biggest home match of the season, the #3 ranked Yellowjackets snatched the #2 spot from the visiting Princeton Tigers in an exciting 5-4 victory.
Yes, Princeton was missing regulars Shannon, Callis and Tanner in their lineup today but Rochester put up an exceptional performance in a match that could easily have gone to 6-3.
In one of the first matches of the day at #6, Rochester freshman Juan Pablo Gaviria, giving it his everything at one game down to Princeton’s Clay Blackiston had an unfortunate head collision with the right side wall and was out cold for a few seconds resulting in him having to retire…that was a solid blow that the lad took to the head!
Co-captain Jim Bristow (R), playing Santiago Imberton (P) at #3 was a tight match with Bristow winning in four. Imberton consistently pushed Bristow to the front with some excellent cross nicks but eventually Bristow began to read through them and control the game more.
Convincing 3-0 wins for Rochester at #7 and #9 by Will Newnham (over Nikhil Seth) and Joe Chapman (over Thorman) respectively.
Another freshman, Oscar Lopez-Hidalgo probably delivered what was the most crucial win for Rochester at #8 after being 1-0 down to Princeton’s Steve Harrington. The match score was 3-2 in Rochester’s favor at that stage.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
(More pictures to follow)
Rochester’s co-captain at #2, Hameed Ahmed was cruising with a 2-1 game lead and 7-1 up in the fourth game against Princeton’s Letourneau, when the inexplicable happened. All credit to Letourneau who dug and dug and dug and pulled off a miracle comeback of the day to win in five and equalize the match score for Princeton. The last time they met during Ahmed’s freshman year Letourneau won 3-1 so maybe that was still what was playing in Ahmed’s head. Funny how this game works!
Newnham (R) shot back strongly over Seth (P). Rochester 4, Princeton 3.
The two matches remaining both featured Rochester freshmen – Harrity(P) vs Fischer(R) at #1 and Pena(P) vs Duany(R) at #4.
In a tightly contested match, the tall Peruvian Duany retrieved EVERYTHING Pena was giving him and in the end prevailed to win Rochester that all important fifth match!
Meanwhile Fischer put on a strong showing against Harrity on the next court but succumbed in the end. At any rate, the overall outcome had already been decided – a historic win for the newly crowned #2 team in the nation!!!
Andres Duany wins the final point for Rochester:
More match reports:
Squashtalk – Rochester beats Princeton with superior depth
Rochester Athletics – #3 Rochester Edges #2 Princeton in Squash
Princeton Athletics – Shorthanded Squash Falls To No. 3 Rochester In 5-4 Thriller
Final scores:
1. Todd Harrity (P) def. Ben Fischer (R), 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
2. David Letourneau (P) def. Hameed Ahmed (R), 11-13, 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8
3. Jim Bristow (R) def. Santiago Imberston (P), 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7
4. Andres Duany (R) def. David Pena (P), 14-12, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5
5. Peter Sopher (P) def. Matt Domenick (R), 11-6, 11-8, 11-5
6. Clay Blackiston (P) def. Juan Pablo Gaviria (R), 11-4, 6-3, ret.
7. Will Newnham (R) def. Nikhil Seth (P), 11-9, 11-1, 11-6
8. Oscar Lopez-Hidalgo (R) def. Steve Harrington (P), 11-13, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5
9. Joseph Chapman (R) def. James Thorman (P), 11-7, 11-5, 11-9
Rochester vs Princeton – THIS SUNDAY!
December 8th, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in College Squash, Events | Comments »
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! You can’t miss one of the biggest (and first) home game of the season!
Sunday December 13th at 1:00pm at the Lyman Squash Courts, Goergen Athletic Center, University of Rochester
 |
From Coach Martin Heath: This is the first time Princeton has ever competed at the University of Rochester. Ranked No.2 behind Trinity College, Princeton has been painfully close to beating Trinity the past 5 years. On paper they had the best team last year, and despite hosting Nationals at Princeton, they again fell agonizingly short. This year they are still strong, with Todd Harrity, the US wunderkind coming in near the top of the order. He will replace the “three amigos” of Mauricio Sanchez, Kimlee Wong & Hisham El Halaby who all graduated in 2009. Rochester played Princeton at Princeton twice last year, losing 9-0 & 8-1, though certainly the matches were closer than the scoreline suggested. This year it will be a much closer affair on paper, with the home advantage going to Rochester. This match will most likely determine No.2 seeding in Nationals. |
The Yellowjackets – Liberty League Champions for three consecutive years in Nov 2009
See what the college squash community is saying:
CSA Article – “Count Rochester in the National Championship Mix”
RSVP to Rochester vs Princeton on Facebook
Yellowjackets coverage on SquashRochester.Org
Recap – Harro Turkey Day 2009
December 2nd, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in Events, General, Video | Comments »
Pictures and video (courtesy of Paul Schwartz) from another edition of the annual Thanksgiving morning round robin tradition at the Harro East Club. Recognize these faces? 
:
|
|
Recap – 2009 George Armstrong Classic
December 1st, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in Events, General, Tournaments | Comments »
By Jack Fitzpatrick
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Rochester’s 2009-10 squash tournament season started off during Halloween week with the 9th annual George Armstrong Squash Classic at the Genesee Valley Club.
Division 3.0
Reflecting the spirit of squash, the three entrants were a veteran and eventual winner (Mary Jo Gabel), and 2 beginners, a young guy and lady who, after getting the basics behind them (BS, MS, PhD, marriage, finalization of career choice, etc.) finally figured out that squash should have come sooner, but better late… Jim Roger- PhD (3rd) is a good tennis player who just took up squash and cannot believe that it is that complicated, but found out that it is. Emily Sulks (2nd) (MS-music) found out that rhythm is really helpful on the court, but technique must follow. Mary Jo Gabel (1st), the wily veteran, had both the rhythm, and when she needed the big point, the technique to enable her to win her first GA title.
Division 4.0
This is always the most interesting draw because it always has the most entrants and also features the widest variety of styles. Eventual winner was Mark Thrall, a terrific athlete, who was able to cope with the best tactics of his opponents. He was able to retrieve their best shots and then pound crisp crosscourts or rails for winners or weak returns (which he was delighted to pound again).
Scott Fitzpatrick, for the 2nd year, lost to the eventual winner in an early round. He played strong and skillfully but Mark was equally determined, winning a very close one. Rudy Small (2nd) showed a talent for making the most imaginative shots but, again, Thrall maintained his winning strategy: retrieve and then pound the ball for a winner or weak return.
Division 4.0 – Consolation
Katie Calihan won by first getting past the hard hitting veteran Fred Hagen. She was able to retrieve Fred’s power shots, and then just had to stay focused against the all-court, but looser game of Brent Dubeshter.
Division 5.0
This year, the seedings were all correct because all the players lost (or won by 3-0). Brendon Bascom became the first ever GA singles winner to defend his title, marching straightforwardly through Glenn Fjermedal and Eric Hernady. Eric had defeated Thomson Chew to reach the final.
Doubles
This perennial fun event had 5 teams, all who played each other in a round robin. Jack Fitzpatrick and Tim Sladden had a lot of fun winning against very athletic, but less experienced teams, with Tim scoring a lot of signature reverse corner points. However, in the finals, when they faced the great retrieving and very hard-hitting team of Thomson and partner Ilya Voloshin, the match early on became one sided. Thomson started the 1st game by blistering 2 three-wall nicks in the first 3 points, and then Ilya retrieved 3 normally winning ’shots’ by Jack/Tim and turned them into his own winners. They won it all 3-0.
When the Friday matches were finished, cool drinks and food were featured for the players and after the finals were played on Saturday, all the parents had plenty of time to take the kids trick-or-treating. Thanks to everyone for playing and supporting the 2009 George Armstrong Squash Classic.
Time for Tradition: Turkey Day Rumble 2009
November 16th, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in Events, General | Comments »
Its that time of the year again to work up an appetite (and burn a few calories!) before the biggest meal of the year – Thanksgiving!
As always, the annual Thanksgiving tradition at the Harro East Athletic club is here to open its doors to the squash playing community for a friendly, informal gathering involving squash, and on occasion, yummy Bloody Marys!
Join the squash loving Harro East players for a fun round robin in PAR format between 9:00am-11:30am on Thanksgiving morning, 26th November 2009 at the Harro East Athletic Club in downtown Rochester. All skill levels welcome! The event is free to all members of the squash community.
Previous events: Harro Turkey Day Rumble 2008, Harro East Turkey Day Round Robin ‘07, Harro T-day Rumble ‘05
For more information, please contact Harro East club rep, Bridget Borsa (borsab at rochester dot rr dot com). Harro East Athletic Club is located in downtown Rochester at 400 Andrew St., Rochester, NY 14604. See Courts for map.
9th Annual George Armstrong Tournament at GVC – Oct. 28-31 2009
October 13th, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in Events, General, Tournaments | Comments »
Time for another installment of the ever popular George Armstrong tournament on October 28-31st 2009 at the Genesee Valley Club.
Hosted By: The Genesee Valley Club, 421 East Ave, Rochester, New York 14607 – 3 international courts. For information, contact Kate Guyer at the GVC – 585-271-3425 or 271-1010 x133 Fax: 585-271-3425 or email kguyer@geneseevalleyclub.org.
Entry fee: $55.00 US for Singles, or Doubles; only $15.00 extra for both. Includes Saturday breakfast, lunch, casual evening social party, and tournament souvenir.
Be prepared to start Wednesday evening (local players) for singles and doubles with finals on Saturday. Doubles Event this year is in Round Robin format, 3 matches guaranteed, enter as a team or individual. If we cannot schedule you for both draws without conflict, we may ask you to choose between events, and adjust fees accordingly.
Skill Levels/Events: Novice, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, Womens, Doubles
Registration Deadline: October 23, 2009
Draw: Call for your draw time October 28, 2009 after 3:00 pm
Ball: Dunlop XX Yellow Dot
Prizes: Trophies for winners, finalist; also consolation & finalist
Eye Wear: Lensed eyewear in front of eyes during any play (practice included)
Attire: Appropriate Squash clothing
Sign up: Download the registration form here.
See also:
Recap: 8th Annual George Armstrong Classic.
Recap: 7th Annual George Armstrong Classic.
Recap: 6th Annual George Armstrong Classic.
Recap: 5th Annual George Armstrong Classic
UR Yellowjackets Meliora Exhibition 2009
September 22nd, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in College Squash, Events | Comments »
Mark your calendars! Saturday October 10th at 7:00pm!
Great opportunity to get some lessons from team members before the event begins – 30 minute lessons at $30 each, 15 slots available. All proceeds go to team fund. Contact Coach Heath (Ph: 585-273-5184) to reserve a slot.
From Coach Heath:
“Should be a great evening. The new guys are very good, and hopefully it will give the local community a chance to practice their cheering before we host Princeton, Yale & Cornell this season! Go Eric Hernady!”
From CollegeSquashAssociation.Com: 2009 – 2010 Rochester Men’s Season Preview
“…Rochester’s monumental rise in the College Squash Association’s rankings continued last season. Since becoming coach at the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, Martin Heath has guided the team from 25th (2006), to 16th (2007), 10th (2008), and 3rd (2009) place finishes. Not surprisingly, during that period, the Yellowjackets earned the Barnaby Award, which is given to the most improved team each season, twice.
Last season’s thrilling 5-4 victory over Yale at the National Team Championships earned Rochester its 3rd place finish. The team’s goal is to continue last season’s momentum in 2009-2010. The team has strengthened its schedule, and it will host matches with Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. As with any team near the top of the rankings, Rochester is gunning to win the team championships. With Fred Reid and Adam Perkiomaki not playing this season, the Yellowjackets hope that their new recruits will fill the void.
The Yellowjackets bring an international flavor to Rochester. This year’s additions, Andres Duany (Peru), Juan Pablo Gaviria (Columbia), and Oscar Lopez Hidalgo (Mexico) bring the total countries represented on the team to thirteen: British Virgin Islands, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, England, Finland, Guyana, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United States. During January, the team will train in the British Virgin Islands….”
Read the entire preview at the CSA website.
A brand new season
August 28th, 2009 Mithun Mukherjee posted in Events, General | Comments »
Brace yourself for the new squash season! Much squash to look forward to including an advanced refereeing clinic, resumption of the popular city leagues, the classic George Armstrong, a womens squash night and a bigger, better, hungrier UR Yellowjackets squash team. A few highlights of whats coming up:
Advanced Refereeing Clinic:
A followup to the hugely successful refereeing clinic from last year, this session will involve a brief didactic session with DVD instruction material followed by on courts instruction and demostrations by certified referees Eric Hernady, Herb Barbehenn and Brendon Bascom. If you missed the first one, don’t forget to sign up for this great session to brush up on the subtle differences between lets and strokes and more before the leagues begin.
Where: Midtown Athletic Club
When: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2-4 pm. Free for current RSRA and Midtown members, nominal sign up fee for non-members. For more information and to sign up contact Doug Bennett.
2009-2010 City Team Leagues:
Sign up for the ever popular city leagues for weekly action across multiple divisions. A few important deadlines for team captains:
Sept 18th: Register your team name with league chair, Mark Raeside
October 2nd – Register/enter your final team roster in the league system
Week of October 5 - League nights begin.
More information on the city league format.
UR Yellowjackets Team Night at Meliora Weekend
Come meet the promising new recruits and watch a bigger, better, hungrier #3 ranked team in the nation.
When: Saturday Sept. 9th at the University of Rochester squash courts. Further details TBA.
2008 Team Night, 2007 Team Night, more Yellowjacket news from the past…
9th Annual George Armstrong Classic Squash Tournament
Join us once again for this ever popular event in its ninth year running.
When: October 28th-31st 2009
Where: Genesee Valley Club Squash Courts
Further details TBA. 2008 Event, 2007 Event, 2006 Event, 2005 Event.
2010 Rochester ProAm
The RSRA’s flagship event in its ninth year. The culmination of the 2009-10 squash season with a fantastic display of professional squash and amateur city tournament action.
When: April 8-11, 2010
Website: www.rocprosquash.com. Further details TBA.
Note: Also, in the works is a Women’s Squash Meet-and-Greet and round robin night at the beginning of the season to introduce women squash players (new and not so new) across clubs to each other. More on this soon.
So time to restring your racquet, clean out your squash goggles, stock up on new balls and warm up for the new season. CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE CALENDAR AND WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES.
Follow
Random Images
