Monthly Posting Of Ladder Rankings - As Of Dec 30/09

Online Ladder Standing As Of Dec 30/09.

As the Decade Comes to a Close this is the Current Standing From WSF Squash Ladder.

1) Kevin Furmanek
2) Tom Porter
3) Steve DeMarco
4)David Guthrie
5)dean lansens
6)Rod Larson
7)Mike Wilbur
8)Nick Dimitrijevic
9)Andrew Caille
10)Paul Gebrael
11)Joe Lepera
12)Mark Della Valle
13)Jamie Mingay
14)Bharat Maheshwari
15)Paul Tonon
16)Brian Porter
17)Todd Brancaccio
18)Jeff Brosseau
19)abdul khan
20)Barry Leavitt
21)Greg Deeg
22)Scott Preston
23)Justin Warnock
24)David Bareich
25)Anis khan
26)Wayne Carroll
27)jeff patterson
28)rudy wey
29)Tim Autterson
30)Prab Agarwalla
31)pat baillargeon
32)doug fields
33)Collin Bateman
34)Krista Leslie
35)Guy Hallifax
36)Leni Amir Lebherz

Kevin Furmanek Finishes as Number One despite only playing TWO MATCH?!?

So Far The Ladder has had 71 Challenges and 36 players

Go to http://sports-ladder.net/wsf/ and Sign Up Today. We need someone to Challenge Furmanek. Mike Connelly, Mike Twiner, Justin Warnock, Sean Horton and Dan VanMorrsel where are you? We Need Your Help!!!

Winter Doubles League

Doubles Squash League was Very Successful in the Fall Squash League!!!!

Don't Miss Out!!

Sign Up Deadline Jan 25/10

DAC Classic

The prestigious DAC Squash Classic is coming up February 4-7, 2010. This Tournament is probable the best weekend event for squash anywhere. Except for WSF's Tournaments. There will be plenty of Beer, Food, Beer and Squash. Don't miss out!!! Help Support this great event! Mick Joint is now take registrations. Entry deadline is January 22. For Full Details check out http://www.thesquashjoint.blogspot.com/.

Great Sale - At WSF

Looking For the Perfect Christmas Gift?

Black Knight 7330 Conquest - Sharif Khan autograph for $99.00

Designed in cooperation with Sharif Khan, 12 time North American champion, this autograph model features premium materials, a very large sweetspot augmented and head light balance for an easy swing.

Also the racquet of choice for Steve Demarco and James Asher.

Gary Waite Junior Squash Tour - Windsor Tour Stop

On Sunday December 13/09, thirty-four of the best junior squash players in southwestern Ontario were in action at WSF as the Gary Waite Junior Squash Tour made its Windsor stop. The Gary Waite Junior Squash Tour is a series of five one-day tournaments hosted by squash clubs in southwestern Ontario. Named in honour of Sarnia's Gary Waite, a former world squash champion, the inaugural tour is proving to be a success in developing the next generation of squash players in this region.
In the 13-and-under division, Ross Ferguson of London defeated Laura Drope of Sarnia to claim the title. Ferguson is a repeated champion as he won the tour's Sarnia event on November 22/09. Colin Curran of Windsor emerged victorious over Sarnia's Thomas Valade in a tight match to take 3rd Place. In the Bronze final, Olivia Waite of Toronto won a close match over Amin Khan of Windsor. Khan had earlier played a hard-fought match with A.J. Greuning of Windsor to make the consolation final.
The 14-and-over division Winner Jakes Stables of London defeated David Mill of Windsor in the finals. Daniel Merlano of Sarnia defeated Nicola Crich of London to take third place. The Bronze final was won by Allison Sparham of Sarnia.
Other WSF Juniors in the field included Myles Mayer, Mitchell Deehan and Berto Mill.
The next event is in Clinton on Jan 17/10.
http://www.juniorsquashtour.com/

Fall Squash League Award Winners

The results are in!!!!!

A League - Team Champions - The Unsquashables - 406pts!!!
They won with strong performance by Ron Funkenhasuer 52pts, Mike Connolly 47pts and Stefan Houbtchev 48pts. No other team came close to the Unsquashables as they led for Week One and never looked back.

B League - Team Champions - Team #3 - 272pts!!!
Despite not having a team name they had solid performances by Phil Fernandes 47pts, Brad Lowery 39pts, and Barry Garant 39pts. Team #3 won easliy by 31pts. Nice Job.

Top Point Accumlator - Kevin Furmanek - 59pts!!!!
Kevin destroyed all the competition and did it playing in A1A.

Most Improved Player - Stefan Houbtchev - 48pts.
Stefan continued to improve as he won all his matches in A6A and A5B.

Ray Weldon Award "Sportsmanship"- Phil Blagdurn -
Phil was always a gentleman on the court and 1st to buy beer off the court

Rookie Of The League - Ryan Garant - 48pts
Ryan trashed the competition in B3A by not losing a game.

Best Team Name - The Unsquashables

Please see me to claim your prize. As well now would be a good time to sign up for the Winter Squash League.

Junior Squash During the Holidays

This a great chance for your Children to burn off that Christmas Turkey and get the New Year started off right. This clinic is intended for all juniors regardless of skill level. Fun Games, Drills, Matches and Doubles!!!!! Don't let your child miss out on a chance to train with Mark Porter.

Fall 2009 Squash League Voting Results

The Votes are in from the The Fall 2009 Squash League.

The Winners are: Ray Weldon Award (Sportsmanship) Phil Blagdurn with 38% of the Votes
Most Improved : Stefan Houbtchev with 39% of the Votes
Best Team Name : Tie between The Unsquashables and Mitch and the Jets
Since we have a tie we will have a run off vote. Voting will go until Friday December 11/09

Winter Squash League 2010

Sign Up Today!!!! Don't Miss Out On the Great Squash Action!!!!!!

Squash Tips!!!!

Play and practice regularly, not sporadically. Playing or practicing once a week can help you improve. Playing or practicing three times a week, or every other day, will help you improve much more quickly.

Keep learning and set goals for improvement. You can always get better at squash since it is a very deep game. Set yourself some challenging goals, and then define some achievable milestones along the way to your goals.

Pro Shop Sale At WSF

Great Sale: Head MicroGel Extreme for $109.00 Head MicroGel Extreme squash racket is a choice of #2 Natalie Grinham, Andrew Caille and Mark Della Valle. It is lightweight with a great control.
Stop in WSF and Pick Up yours today

Gary Waite - Junior Squash Tour - Event #3

The Inaugural Gary Waite Junior Squash Tour makes its 1st ever stop at WSF. December 13/09. This is a great chance for your child to improve their squash game and meet new friends. Contact Me dguthrie@windsorsquash.ca for complete details or go to http://www.juniorsquashtour.com/

Mixed Up Doubles and Pot Luck

Come Out Play Squash Have Some Food and Drinks to Kick off The Holiday Season!!!

Contact Me or Teresa Ashworth if you are interested.

Fall Squash League Points Leaders

Fall Squash League Rookie Points Leaders

Fall B League Team Points

"B" League Team Points as of Nov 18/09
On Tuesday Nov 17/09 We had: 16 Scheduled Matches and 12 Matches Played = 75% Matches Played On Time

Fall A League Team Points

"A" League Team Points as of Nov 17/09

On Monday Nov 16/09 We had: 24 Scheduled Matches and 16 Matches Played = 66% Matches Played On Time.

Who Does This Player Remind You the Most At WSF?

Please Comment On Who You Think He Looks Like the Most at WSF?

Doubles in the "Burbs"

Fall Down Classic 2009

What a great weekend for the Fall Down Classic. Many familiar faces from WSF came out for the event and a great number from out of town. The event drew 100 participants from Toronto, London and Michigan. This year’s events featured A, B, C, and Doubles divisions. Not to be forgotten, some great night life followed at The Poor House.

Brad Hanebury of London, Ontario came to Windsor this year on a mission. Hanebury walked though the competition in Men’s A Draw. Hanebury only lost one game on route to the Championship. Since Hanebury was the 3 seed he was forced to play all the top players in the tournament, but this did not stop him as he downed Birmingham, Michigan’s John Uffelman, Windsor’s Mark Eugeni and Mark Porter. Porter tried to slow down Hanebury’s play by keeping him out late the night before finals, but failed.

Before the tournament Barry Leavitt made a special purchase for him and his doubles partner Paul “Sinbad” Gebrael, matching “Spongebob Squarepants” bandanas. Using the power of “Spongebob” they powered their way through the competition to the championship. In route, they encountered a few heated and tough matches. After being crowned B Doubles Champions the paramedics were called to help remove Gebrael from the doubles court as his head had swelled too much to fit though the door.

In the men’s B Division Scott Preston felt slighted by the tournament coordinators with being seated so low. Preston a 3 seed used this as motivation to show that he was the best player in the field. Preston’s styles of play worked well for him this weekend as he slowly grinded down his opponents with long rallies and never die attitude. This allowed him to prevail as tournament champion. With this victory Preston made it clear to his nemesis Todd Brancaccio that he is the man to beat in tournaments.
Thank You to everyone who participated in Fall Down Classic and just a reminder that we will do it again in the spring at the Tony Tomicic Challenge on March 27, 28 and 29/2010. WSF is currently having Sponsorship Drive for the Tony Tomicic Challenge. If interested please let me know.

Fall A League 2009 - Week Four Summary

With the Fall Down Classic just around the corner lots of guys are trying to turn up their squash game to be ready for the tournament for next weekend.

The battle for the state of Michigan happened on Monday Night at WSF. No this was not the Michigan vs Michigan State football game. Mike Twiner formerly of South Carolina now Dearborn and Greg Deeg from the Dee. Twiner new to WSF has been quick to show everybody that despite being from South Carolina he knows how to play squash. Twiner has beaten up all his opponents so far and Monday against Deeg was not any different. Twiner defeated Deeg 3 games to zero and took home the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

This Fall League Jarrod Matties made the big jump to Monday Nights and has been very impressive in his matches. All of Matties’s matches have gone 5 games and he has won 4 of those matches. On night Monday he played the Hard Hitting Tim Autterson in a slug fest. When the dust settle it was only Matties that was left standing and with this victory Matties pretty much assured himself a spot in A6A.

Team Standings
1) The Unsquashables 160pts
2) Team #5 (Needs A Team Name) 154pts
3) The Perfect Nick 115pts
4) The Dead Nick 107pts
5) Mitchy and The Jets (Team 6) 97 pts
6) Team #6 (Needs A Team Name) 94pts

Rules Clinic - November 2/09 - 7:00pm

Cross Border Challenge

The Cross Border Challenge on Saturday, October 24/09 was full of many surprises. WSF was looking to extend their long winning streak over the DAC. Unfortunately for them the DAC boys came to Windsor looking to take home the Cross Border Challenge trophy with them.
Early on in the challenge the DAC was quick to build up a lead. After some tough matches Windsor started to find their winning form and pulled even after 12 matches. This meant that the final match would determine the champion of the Cross Border Challenge.
The final match was on the doubles court between Stan Furmanek/ Tom Beneteau (WSF) versus Peter Logan/ Mike Cousnmen (DAC). Neither side wanted to let their team down. Furmanek/Beneteau set the early pace by stealing the 1st game, but Logan/ Cousnmen came back to win the next two. In the 4th game Beneteau/ Furmanek were hanging on and facing a possible defeat when they rallied and stole the 4th game. In the 5th Furmanek/ Beneteau put on a great display of shot making ability that kept finding the nick. Logan/ Cousnmen tried to answer but they had run out of gas. This great victory for WSF kept the trophy at home and the DAC wondering if they would ever retain the trophy again.

For the DAC version of the Challenge Check Out Mick Joint’s Squash Blog

http://thesquashjoint.blogspot.com

Fall A League - Week 3 Summary

The Chatham Boys crashed the party at WSF.

Dan Vanmoorsel and Wayne Carroll both have been making the commute from Chatham to Windsor every Monday Night to play in our squash league. Last night they made a loud statement by whipping both their opponents soundly. Vanmoorsel finally found his winning form by upsetting Mike “Doc” Connelly by the score of three games to none. Vanmoorsel was so pumped by his victory that he was buying everyone beer following the match. This victory really put A1 up for grabs. Meanwhile Carroll also broke through into the win column with his victory over Michael Sonne. Carroll’s off season training program is finally paying dividends. He will be a tough player to beat now. Watch out everyone in A6.

Doug Fields continues to show that he belongs in A1 not A2. The surprising upset of Kevin Furmanek prior to the start of the league has put a new step into his game. Fields’ improved shot making ability has caught his opponents off guard. Last night Rob Charlebois, after losing to Fields, was surprised, not only by his improved shots but, that his new fitness level has brought a new dimension to his game. Watch out for Fields as he is a force on the squash court and at the bowling alley.

Team Points: (1) The Unsquashables (formerly Team#1) 128 pts
(2) Team #5 107 pts
(3) The Deadnick (formerly Team#2) 84 pts.
- Team #6
(4) The Perfect Nick (formerly Team#4) 81pts.
(5) Team #3 79pts.

Give Your Team A Name!!!!

Horton Wins Gold at the World Masters' Games

Breaking News: Sean Horton of Windsor Squash and Fitness wins gold at the World Master's Game. Horton defeated Sjef Van Der Heijden of Netherlands by the score of 3 games to none. Congratulations Sean you made everyone at WSF proud.

2009 Fall Down Classic

WSF's Fall Down Classic - November 6,7 & 8/09 -2 Matches Guaranteed
$60+GST (Up to 2 Events)

Complimentary Beer

Tournament T Shirt

Contact: David Guthrie dguthrie@windsorsquash.ca for Full Details

Fall B Squash League - Week 2 Summary

As the weather gets colder and the leaves change colour the action on the squash courts is really starting to heat up. Tuesday night the Fall B League carried on with many guys working hard to prove themselves to their fellow opponents.

Both Dan “Steady” McLatcher and the young Khaled Alhakim were looking to make their mark on Tuesday. McLatcher wanted to show Alhakim that his “good shot making” ability was going to carry him to victory. Although McLatcher’s shots were tight and in the corners, Alhakim used his cat like reflexes to keep the balance of the match up in the air. In the end McLatcher had a couple of nick shots that carried him to victory in the fifth game. Alhakim although might be a little tougher next time around as his skills are getting better every time he steps onto the court.

B3 is full of young and upcoming players who want to show that they can play with the big boys. Unfortunately for them Jim Oakley is not interested in giving out charity to them. On Tuesday Oakley showed Bruce “Summer League Champion” Jean that the game of squash is not all about hard shots. Oakley used a wide range of shots that confused the younger Jean. After Oakley defeated Jean he was quick to challenge anyone else who was watching the match to determine if they could do better than Jean. No one accepted the challenge.

Mel Silva is off to a fast start in B2 by winning both of his games by the score of 3 games to none. Silva due to badly injuring his shoulder in a match was forced to withdraw from the league last winter. With this injury on his shoulders many people around the club were wondering if Silva would be able to regain his dominate form that he displayed last winter. Based on the result from his 1st two matches in this league, I think there is little doubt that Silva will be a force in B2.

Final Results - 2009 Summer Die Hard League

Finally all the matches from the 2009 Summer Die Hard League have been completed.
These are your Champions

A League-
A1 - Justin Warnock
A2 - Mike Wilbur
A3 - Prab Agarwalla
A4 - Toby Scott

B League-
B1 - Peter Wares
B2 - Bruce Jean

Thank You to everyone who played in the Summer Die Hard League and Congratulations to the Winners

Motor City Open - January 27 - February 1/ 2010

Call Julian Wellings at the Birmingham Athletic Club For Ticket Info.

http://themotorcityopen.com/

Gary Waite - Junior Squash Tour

The New Gary Waite Junior Squash Tour kicks off Oct 18/09 at the London Squash Racquets Club

The Tour will be here in Windsor on Sunday December 13/09.

For full details please contact Gary Delavigne at glhr.delavigne@sympatico.ca

Fall A Squash League - Week 2 Summary

Monday Night League action resumed last night. Some players have been quick to get out of the starting blocks hoping to set the pace for the rest of the league to follow.

Greg Deeg has been impressive in his 1st two matches. In week one he made quick work of Rob Charlebois. On Monday night he drew Scott “The Hammer” Preston. Deeg although was very sluggish for the 1st two games as Preston seemed to be on his way to an easy 3 games to none victory when Deeg regained his form. In the 3rd game Deeg’s shots became much tighter and were no longer bouncing in the middle of the court. Deeg used this new found confidence to win the match in the 5th game. Preston seemed a little rusty but indicated that he will be ready for the rematch.

Ron “The Diver” Funkenhasuer fresh from the Caboto Club circuit has been quick to make his name known around the halls of WSF. Funkenhasuer was impressive in week one with a strong victory over Mark “Doc” Lackorzynski. This week he battled Shawn Filice. Again Funkenhasuer was a machine on the court diving for loose shots and dominating the front court action. Filice struggled find the proper answer for Funkenhauser’s quickness. At this rate Funkenhasuer will be playing with some of the big names in A1.

Stefan “Young Gun” Houbtchev is fresh off his strong performance at The Club at White Oaks (Junior Gold #1) where he took the consultations finals over fellow WSF Junior David “Magic” Mill. Monday Houbtchev picked up where he left off and soundly defeated Michael Sonne. Houbtchev’s impressive play has pushed his team (Team#1) into 1st place. Also after two matches Houbtchev is the league’s Top Point Accumulator.

Don’t Forget to Give Your Team a Name. Prizes will be awarded for the Best Name.

Commandments of Squash Etiquette

This is a great article by our favorite pro Mick Joint(DAC) on the Etiquette of Squash. Reading the article may give you some pointers on how to win the Sportsmanship Award (Ray Weldon Award) in the Fall League.

http://www.squashzag.com/magazine/read/commandments-of-squash-etiquette_180.html

The MSRA Web Site

Check Out the New and Improved MSRA web site. I think you will agree that this is an excellent improvement.

http://www.michigansquash.org/

The Nash Cup - As Reported By Brian Porter

Guest Blog Post by Brian Porter-from the London Nashionals Squash Tournament

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of competing in one of two annual events held at the London Squash Racquets Club http://www.blogger.com/www.londonsquash.on.ca. The Nash Cup, named after their title sponsor, is an amateur event that is held in conjuction with a $6000 Pro event. This is one of my favourite events on the Squash calendar to attend. The LSRC is a neat little private Club that has been carved out of a 100 year old home in downtown London Ontario. The facilities have a certain charm about them (including a bar adjacent to the viewing area for court #1!) and the members are some of the friendliest and most welcoming around.

Our area was well represented by a handful of players at varying levels. Doug Fields, who was a finalist in the Men's C last year, worked his way into the quarter finals before he fell victim to the eventual division champ. Doug has played this event a number of times and the concrete courts are perfectly suited to his punishing rails!

In the Open category, Mick Joint from Detroit Athletic Club represented the area. It is always a joy to watch Mick play. He is so fluid and in control that he almost makes it look effortless as he grinds his opponents into the ground. Mick's 2nd round match was against Adrian Dudzicki. Dudzicki upset Joint in the 2nd round last year and has since become one of his nemeses. The pressure was certainly on this year and Joint found himself a quick 2 games down in this years semi final match. Joint, however, regrouped and designed an impressive comeback, defeating Dudzicki convincingly in 5. He then went on to bury the University of Western's #1 player Strachan Jarvis 3-1 in the final to win the event.

In Men's A, we saw Mark Porter play some of his best Squash. Sometime in the last 12-months Porter learned to hit a drop shot and he used it skillfully throughout the early rounds to make his way to the finals. On Sunday morning he prepared for his match against an unknown Chilean in proper fashion with a hot bowl of his mothers Chili. Unfortunately, the pre-game meal did not have the desired effect as he faced a length machine who methodically wore Porter down in a 4 game marathon.

Finally, the story of the tournament was our very own Sean Guay who competed in the Men's B division. Sean showed patience, skill and even a bit of poise as he cruised to the finals where he met LSRC's James Hayes. Hayes defeated yours truly in a see-saw quarter final that ended in Hayes' favour 13-11 in the fifth. Sean stuck to his game plan in the final and convincingly gave the court tour to Hayes over 5 games, exhausting his elder and claiming the division. Congratulations Sean!

In the PSA event, Bernardo Samper (http://bernardo-ontour.com/) of Columbia defeated Laurence Delasaux of England to claim his first ever PSA victory (7-11,11-6, 11-7,11-5). We will have the opportunity to see Bernardo play again soon as he will be competing at the Motor City Open in Birmingham at the end of January. Full details of the PSA event can be found here (http://www.squashsite.co.uk/2009/nash_cup_09.htm).

If you haven't played in a tournament, especially one outside of your home Club, you are missing out on one of the great reasons to play this game. It really doesn't matter what your level of skill is. By Sunday morning of an event, I always feel as if I have met some great people, made some new friends and learned just a little bit more about this game that we all love!

See you at the Fall Down Classic at WSF!
　
More Pictures from the Nash Cup http://www.naturesbestshot.com/2009/london-squash-club-nash-cup-psa-final/
　
Upcoming Tournaments
Nov 6, 7 & 8 - Fall Down Classic - Windsor Squash & Fitness Club

Jan 23, 24 & 25 - Window Film Systems - London Squash Club

Feb 6, 7 & 8 - DAC Classic - Detroit Athletic Club

Feb 26, 27 & 28 - TC Classic - Toledo Club

PSA Tournaments
Jan 27 to Feb 1 - Motor City Open - Birmingham, MI

Fall B Squash League - Week 1 Summary

Tuesday Night Marked the beginning of the New Fall B Squash League.

The finest match of the night was between Brad “Run and Gun” Lowery and Dave “The Destroyer”Porter. Both Lowery and Porter are familiar with each other’s game. As well, they both have their eyes on Monday Nights. Porter was hoping to catch Lowery sleeping and almost did by pushing the match to a fifth game. In this heated match, both players had their chances to win, but in the end, Lowery had a little more gas to prevail to victory.

Mike Stanesic showed no signs of a summer lay off. Stanesic’s game on Tuesday was sharp. He made quick work of Krista “Team Captain of the 3.5 Travel League”Leslie. His shots were tight and in the corners and Leslie had no answer for them. Leslie was not her usual self. Her game was missing the cat like reflexes that have become a staple of her game. Although Leslie claims she was just using this match as a warm for the MSRA Travel League, only time will tell if this is true.

Two old rivals squared off against each other in B2, Colin“Never Quit”Bateman and Al Pollier. The match consisted of four highly contested games. Although Bateman managed to pull out the victory, he was quick to give credit to his opponent Pollier. Bateman has battled Pollier before and knows the match could have gone either way. After the match, Pollier said he could not find a solution for Bateman’s never quit style of game.

Fall A Squash League Week 1 Summary

What an awesome start to the new squash season. It was great to see some old faces reappear. Although some of the old faces had some rust on their squash games.

The night started off fast with a surprising upset of Justin Warnock by Tim Majocha. Majocha made quick work of Warnock by winning, in a convincing fashion of, 3 games to none. Majocha’s shots painted Warnock into the corner in which Warnock had no answer. So proud of his victory Majocha was offering free Behr paint to anyone who was watching the match.

The best match of the night was between Todd “New Kid on the Block” Brancaccio against Craig “Old School” Guthrie. Guthrie who has been a ghost around the club lacked te cardio fitness and was forced to rely on his shot making ability. This played right into Brancaccio’s hands as his game is built around running down shots and long rallies. The match went to a fifth game with a final score of 10 – 9 for “Old School”.

Another thrilling match last night saw Steve “Michael Douglas” Byrne go up against Peter Brett. Both showed sign of brilliance but at times displayed some summer rust. This battle went back and forth. The match was so tough that Byrne was forced to bring out his patent shot “The Byrne Drop Shot”. If you are not familiar with this shot it is a fake length drop shot that Byrne has down to a science. Despite this Brett prove to be too strong and in the end won the match in the fifth game

Online Squash Ladder

The online squash ladder is ready. To register: Go the "Loggin In" Page and at the bottom of the screen click on "New User" and register. Please be patience with the site as we may still need to work out some bugs. Thank You

http://www.squash-ladder.net/wsf

The Nash Cup

The Nash Cup - London, Ontario- Oct 2-4/09

Some players who have confirmed for the PSA event include Jan Koukal (CZE) # 47 in the world, Robin Clarke (CAN) # 75, Regardt Schonborn (RSA) # 85 and more.

Mick Joint will also be attending as well as some others from the DAC. Should be a great weekend of Squash!

Contact Me if you are interested in this event.

Die Hard 2nd Round A Playoff Summary

The A Squash League Playoffs resumed last night. The marquee match up of the night was Shaun Guay against Brian Porter. Porter has had this date marked on his calendar since the early May when the younger Guay pulled off the surprising upset of Porter in the Club Championships. Although the final score of last night’s match (3 to 0) does not reflect how tough it was for Porter to defeat Guay. Two of the games in the match had to go to extra points. Despite this win Porter still has his work cut out for him as will now draw the winner of between Justin Warnock and Andrew Little.

While Guay and Porter battled it out on Court 1 over on Court 2 another interesting match was taking place. The battle of the “Muscle Shirts” between Darin “Doc” Peterson and Mike “Reverse Boast” Wilbur was on and they were in a deadlock clash. Peterson is the new man on the block was looking to make his mark by upsetting the higher seated Wilbur. Peterson was all over the court like a man on a mission with good hard tight shots that forced the match to the fifth game. Although in the fifth game Wilbur made it clear that only one muscle shirt can be in the finals.

Come out on Friday Sept 25/09 for the Finals. Have a Beer and Root on your fellow league players.

Die Hard 1st Round B League Playoff Summary

The B League Playoffs began on Tuesday in Smashing Fashion as many of the young and upcoming players battled it out with some of the veterans of the league for supremacy. Although some of the veteran players were quick to show these young guns that they still have a few things to learn.

Peter Wares showed a young Josh Pinese that he will need to work a little bit harder on his length shots before he can compete with the big boys. Pinese has shown great promise in the last 2 leagues by rising quickly through the ranks. Unfortunately Wares did not want to show him any sympathies on Tuesday by wining 3 games to 1. Wares is determined to win this league.

Two upsets occurred in B2. Bruce “Soft Hands” Jean took down Amanda Sjoberg and James Konrad wrestled a tough win from Jason Delavrier. This sets up a great finals match between Jean and Konrad. The match could go either way. According to the line in Las Vegas they are giving Konrad the 2-1 edge. This finals match will be like a Nadal/ Federer tennis match.

Die Hard 1st Round Playoff Summary

The 1st round action last night was all about PIZZA, BEER and SQUASH.

Konstantin Houbtchev used all the shots in his bag of tricks to take down Chris “Wild Man” Chamandy. Chris was determined to make his mark in A2. As lately Chris feels that his fitness level and shot making ability have never been better. Chris made a bold statement after the tough loss, warning that he will be back in the Fall League to win it all.

Paul “Sinbad” Gebrael has been rising very quickly up the ranks and was eyeing the playoffs as his time to shine. Paul has been playing strong squash on the singles and doubles court. Although Paul unfortunately allowed his emotions to get the better of him last night and struggle to find his winning form. Despite this loss Gebrael warned all competitors that this match was just a warm up for the Fall League.

Mitch Kosovitch pushed himself to a 2-1 game lead before his opponent Justin Warnock turned up his game. Warnock flirted with defeat a couple of times as he closed out Kosovitch in the fifth game. Warnock better be careful in these playoffs as Brian Porter and Shaun Guay are looking to take him down.

New Features to The Fall Squash League

Team Format

1) Every Player in the squash league will be assigned a team.
2) All Players will play their individual matches and be awarded points according to the scoring system.
3) If your match is played on the schedule day each player in the given match will be awarded an additional point. This additional point will only be awarded by the league convener.
4) The points accumulated from a given match will be awarded to your assigned team.
5) The team that accumulates the most points during the course of the league will win the Team Championship.
6) Team points will be posted on the following day of schedule matches. A League – Tuesday – B League Wednesday.
7) If a match is not played on schedule day no additional point will be awarded regardless of circumstances for both players.

Awards

Most Points Accumulated – The person who earns most points during the course of the league.
Most Improved Player – The person who displays the most improvement during the course of the league.
Ray Weldon Award – The player who best displays the spirit, enthusiasm and sportsmanship towards the game of squash during the course of the league.
Rookie of the League – The rookie who earns the most point during the course of the league.
Best Team Name – The team that creates the best team name.

The Growth of Squash In North America

I found this excellent and interesting article other day by popular squash columnist Alan Thatcher about the growth of squash in North America. It was very reassuring to hear that the game of squash is growing. Check it out.
http://www.usopen-squash.com/growing.php

U.S. Open Squash Championship 2009

Amr Shabana (Egypt) defeated current World #1 Ramy Ashour (Egypt) in five games.
Full Results: http://www.psalive.tv/05draws/110180408409sqps364l00001.php

Squash Tips

Check out the Cool video demostration by Mike Way (Jonathon Power's Coach) as he goes over the fundamentals of squash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uuDRO8SKJ0

Doubles Squash League: The Return

Cross Border Challenge

September 12/09. The Cross Border Challenge will be held at WSF. Anybody interested in participating in this year's Fall Challenge please contact me. We are looking for players of all skill levels. Females are welcome. This is a social event so you must be 19 years of age to participate

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Squash Tip

Take some lessons so you practice effectively. Unfortunately, practice does not make perfect. In squash, as in many disciplines, perfect practice makes perfect. Therefore, you must take some lessons so that you learn what to practice, and how. M.Joint

Die Hard Week 6 Summary - B League

Rino Marcon continues to knock off all comers in B1B. This week Marcon took down the veteran Jim Oakley by the score of 3 games to 1. At this rate Marcon will be playing on Monday nights very soon. Although Josh Pinese says that Marcon still must play him to reach Mondays first. Kelly Zlotnik pushed Bruce “Soft Hands” Jean to the limits this week in a hard fought five game match. Zlotnik has been knocking on the door a couple of times now for her 1st victory. I have a feeling that her big breakthrough will come in the playoffs. Don’t be over looking her

Die Hard Week 6 Summary - A League

Jeff Saddy is cleaning house in A4. Saddy has won all three of his matches in the 2nd half of the league by the score of 3 games to none. If Saddy continues his strong play he will easily win A4 and it is just a matter who is going to finish 2nd.
"Rocket" Roddy Larson renewed his rivalry with his nemesis Mitch Kosovitch this week. As their matches in the past, Larson tried to push for long rallies hoping to wear down Kosovitch. Despite Larson’s tactics, Kosovitch proved to be a tough foe and forced the match to five games before falling victim to the Larson’s long rallies.
Paul “Don’t Call Me Sinbad” Gebrael seemed to be running away from the competition in A2B with 2 matches of 3 games to 0 wins. But in his third match against Amir Lebherz the train came off the track for Gebrael as he was defeated 3-0 in a hard played match. Despite this loss Gebreal’s is only getting better.

The All New Fall Squash League

Squash Tip

Find time to practice as well as play. It is only by hitting the same shot again and again that you can master the shot. Hitting the shot many times in a row can help you ‘groove’ in the shot, and gain the ‘muscle memory’ needed to hit the shot well during an actual game. - J.Power

Die Hard Week 5 Summary - B League

Bruce “Soft Hands” Jean quietly defeated James Konrad 3-1. Jean was determined not to allow himself fall behind in the league standings after a being defeated last week by Jason Delavrier. Meanwhile Delavrier is laying waste to all the competition in B2A. Delavrier is determined to win the league but his new job might throw a wrench into his training schedule.

Phil Fernandes showed the newcomer to B1 Brad Brazier that he still has some things to learn. Although Fernandes is playing well, his days may be numbered as Amanda Sjoberg is closing the gap between the two of them.

Die Hard Week 5 Summary - A League

Andrew Caille fell victim to overconfidence as he built two to zero games lead over Anis Khan. Khan battled back to force the fifth game. In the fifth game Caille again showed too much over confidence as he built 6 – 1 lead before Khan came back to steal victory from him.
Rudy “The Energizer Battery” Wey again showed that he is too tough to out work. Winning 3-1. Mark Little tried to wear down Wey last night with long rallies but failed to put the final blow. Wey showed the younger Little that he still has some juice in the tank.
Peter Ryan bounced back nicely this week after a tough loss last week to Maresq Child. This week Ryan took out his frustration on the young gun Stefan Houbtchev by winning 3-2. Although Houbtchev “claims” that loss was attributed to his Ipod was not updated with the latest music.

Trinity College

Trinity College has won another National Championship. If you’re not familiar with Trinity College they are a little university in Hartford, Conn. Their squash team has the longest winning streak in NCAA History and they just won their record straight 11 national championships. The streak has become so big that ESPN's SportsCenter did a story on them. Click on the link below to get the full story.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3927303

Upcoming Events

Fall Junior Squash -Sept 26-27/09

Fall Squash League - Sept 28/09 - Sign Up Deadline -Sept 21/09

Fall Doubles Squash League - TBD

Fall Down Classic - Nov 6-8/09

Die Hard Week 4 Summary - A League

Barry Leavitt continues to put up a good fight in his league matches despite the fact that he suffers from a chronic back problem that affects his mobility on the court. On Monday he pushed his arch rival Mike Wilbur to the limits by forcing the match to a fifth game before Mike pulled out the victory. Watch out for Barry he is going to be a factor in the 2nd half of the league.
Justin Warnock's off season training seem to be paying off. Monday night he was back in action against Al Valente. Once Warnock dusted off the rust he proved that he has not lost a step and beat Valente in five games. The California Squash Circuit seems to have reinvented his game.
Dr. Mark Lackorzinski is out to show all the young guns in A3 that he is the man to beat. Lackorzinski made easy work of Prab Agawalla by winning 3-1. Although Mark will have his hands full next week against Marv Lumley.

Die Hard Week 4 Summary - B League

James Konrad and Jason Delravier met again in league play on Tuesday. A strong rivalry is developing between these two raising stars. Delravier prove to be the stronger of two on Tuesday by winning in the fifth game. Although Konrad says he is saving his best for the playoffs.
Mike Tomkins is out to show all the young guys in B1 that he is the man to beat as he defeated Phil Fernandes 3-1 on Tuesday. Despite this Dave Porter and Brad Brazier are licking their chops to get their chance at Tompkins. Tompkins will have his hands full next week with the wily veteran Peter Wares.