Banner Season: Streaking squads hoping to squash the competition amidst unprecedented championship reign
St. Catharines, Ont. – It is rare to see winning streaks span multiple years within university sport, let alone multiple decades, but that is exactly what the OUA has seen on the squash courts. While the Queen’s Gaels women’s team searches for an impressive sixth straight banner, the 2020 edition of the OUA Squash Championships will see the Western Mustangs men battle for an unprecedented 37th consecutive title. Success, therefore, is well engrained in these powerhouse programs, but when play hits the White Oaks Resort & Spa courts from February 7 to 9, the remaining field will be striving to put their best foot forward against these streaking squads.
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When a team enters banner season on the heels of a 36-year winning streak, expecting a championship-calibre performance doesn’t seem like much of a stretch, but the Mustangs men’s team isn’t taking anything for granted in their quest for a 37th straight OUA banner.
“As the Western team approaches the OUA finals, one may reflect on a 36-year winning legacy as something that is timeless and a given,” said coach James Van Staveren. “Adding another notch is, in fact, earned only with a high degree of hard work and dedication to the sport. This year is no different in that we have no small feat ahead to reaffirm our legacy and continue the tradition – one match, one point at a time.”
To add this notch and tackle these matches, the team will have a pair of decorated returnees at the helm. Matthew Henderson (Victoria, B.C.) and David Mill (Windsor, Ont.), both of whom have earned a trio of titles while donning the purple and white, are looking to put their all-star status to the test once again and repeat as champions. Not only will the men’s side be competing for a banner once again, but the Mustangs women’s team will also be in championship conversation. After a second-place result a year ago, the London squad hopes to secure just one more win this time around to make the jump from silver to gold for the first time since 2013.
While a veteran presence will guide one championship defence, the Queen’s Gaels women’s squad will hope that a surging sophomore can build on her successful rookie campaign to carry them to continued banner season success. Having won their fifth consecutive title in 2019, the Gaels have their sights set on six straight this weekend, turning to all-star Amelia Knapp to lead the charge. The Calgary, Alta. headlined the team’s spotless showing at last weekend’s final Jesters crossover and along with the entirety of their deep and talented squad, will aim to carry the Tricolour to a similar result at the provincial finale once again.
Like Western, the Gaels will hope the other half of their championship contingent can take a step up the podium as well, as their men’s squad, who finished with silver a year ago, search for their first ever OUA banner.
Rounding out last year’s podiums were the Toronto Varsity Blues, who have put together a strong stretch of Jesters play to be right in the thick of contention once again. The Blues women’s contingent finished with a 12-2 record in the Jesters league standings, with their only two losses coming against the aforementioned championship medalists. Back in the No. 1 spot for Toronto this season, Rhea Dhar (Toronto, Ont.) is hoping to maintain her all-star status and build on what was a 4-2 showing a year ago. The junior will be joined by the Thandi and Deiriai Myers (Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines), with the sisters holding Toronto’s No. 2 and 3 spots, respectively.
On the flip side, the Blues men will see a new face take the lead spot this weekend after losing reigning tournament MVP Josh Hollings. Alexi Gosset (Toronto, Ont.), now in his fifth year, is being leaned on to take charge after finishing the season with a 4-1 record. Team captain Yusuf Shalaby (Mississauga, Ont.) comes in at the No.2 spot, while rookie sensation Jonathan Fan (Richmond, B.C.) rounds out Toronto’s top three. This group is primed to contend, just like they have in Jesters league play, where they were only topped in the standings by Western and the Waterloo Warriors.
Those same Warriors will be among those joining the competitive field of contenders in Niagara and they’ll do so with a deep, talent-laden squad. If the black and gold want to dethrone the long-time champions from Western, they will look to the Seth brothers to lead the way. Cameron Seth, alongside his brother Ravi Seth, returns to competition with the Warriors after winning three straight OUA MVP titles from 2014-16. He is taking his Masters of Computer Science, and heading into his fourth banner season appearance, the Fergus, Ont. native – currently ranked 122nd in the Professional Squash Association rankings – will occupy the teams’ No. 1 spot.
Waterloo is taking a different approach on the women’s side, relying on a rookie to lead their championship aspirations. Playing out of the No. 1 spot, Harriet Ho (Hong Kong) is expected to have a big tournament in her first OUA championship appearance; something that would go a long toward not just another top-five showing, but a coveted spot on the podium.
The Brock Badgers men’s team will also have a youthful vibe this weekend, after seeing several of their senior players graduate. Last year’s group finished just shy of the podium, and while many of the Badgers’ competitors will be looking for that valuable banner season experience, fourth-year player Vincenzo Prior (Brantford, Ont.) will bring his trifecta of championship showings to the table for Brock. Playing to a 7-5 record this season out of the No. 1 position, Prior has maintained his status as a tough competitor. Known for his defence and excellent sportsmanship, the veteran has a knack for entertaining the spectators with his athletic ability, reaching all corners of the court and rebounding back to the next shot.
Fellow fourth-year Andrea Chaves (St. Catharines, Ont.) will be another fan favourite hitting the courts this weekend, having trained at White Oaks since she was just eight years old. A consistent all-star, the senior continues to churn out winning records each year, and played an integral role in the team’s previous bronze medal result and slew of fourth-place finishes over the last few seasons.
Not only are players like Chaves excited to play on her local courts, the Badgers as a whole, coached by Matt Easingwood, are looking forward to welcoming the squash elite to the region. “Brock is proud to be hosting the OUA Championships at White Oaks,” said Easingwood. “We are proud to have a great history of squash in the Niagara Region with many of our local junior players competing on university teams at this weekend’s event. I hope that all players enjoy the competition and use it to motivate themselves to pursue excellence in all aspects of life.”
Rounding out the field making up the competition at this weekend’s festivities are the McMaster Marauders and Guelph Gryphons, who while falling outside the top five a year ago, will be searching for a few more tallies in the win column this year to navigate their programs to new heights.
Preliminary play will get underway on Friday evening, starting at 4:30pm on February 7, and will continue into the Saturday schedule, which will commence at 9:00am. Once the pool play is complete, semifinals and championship matches will take place on Sunday, February 9, starting at 9:00am.
