National Capital Squash sponsored five teams to play in the 2016 U.S. Women’s Team National Championships, held in Chelsea Piers, Stamford CT the weekend of Nov 11-13.
A team
The National Capital ACES played in a round robin format against five other A teams, ultimately winning two contests and losing three. On Friday they defeated a Connecticut team 4-1, and lost to a Boston team 1-4. On Saturday they lost to the New York team that ultimately won the Cup, 0-5, and again to a Philadelphia team 2-3. On Sunday they defeated a very tough “Gabler’s Gang” Connecticut team 3-2. Captain Margaret Gerety, playing at the #2 position, pulled out an amazing 5-game win against pro and perennial contender Juliana Lilien, (10), 7, (8), 6, 5, to clinch the final team victory.
B team
The National Capital Lob-B-ists were seeded third in a full field of 16 B teams configured in a conventional straight draw. On Friday they began play by soundly defeating a Connecticut-based team 4-1. Their second round match was against a Seattle team, “Eve’s Tough Cookies”, so named after the recently deceased mother of one of the Seattle players who came late to the game of squash but played until she was 80. The NCS team prevailed, 3-2. On Saturday the Capital Lob-B-ists won in a narrow 3-2 victory over a very strong Chicago team that had been seeded second in the draw. In the finals on Sunday they lost to a veteran Canadian team in a very tight contest, 2-3. Congratulations to Sarah Davidson who, playing at the #4 position, did not drop a match all weekend!
C Teams
National Capital Squash sent two C teams to Howe Cup this year. Twelve C teams competed in a first round pool play format.
The District Columbians, captained by Baltimore SquashWise Director Abby Markoe, lost two matches and won one in first round pool play. In the subsequent playoff for the 10-12 spots, the District Columbians lost to Squashlandia West (a Portland team) 2-3, and in their final match lost to a second Portland team, 1-4. The District Columbians were proud to have urban squash juniors Rachel Matamoros (Squash Haven) and Kamarra Richberg (SquashWise) on the team.
The second NCS C team, the DC Cerebrals, came in third in first-round pool play, defeating a Portland team (Squashlandia North) 5-0 but losing to Boston 1-4 and to Texas 1-4. In the subsequent 7-9 playoff, they defeated New York 3-2 and lost to Philadelphia 2-3, finishing 8 in the field of 12 teams. Playing in her first Howe Cup ever, Elizabeth Holdefer had an impressive showing at the #3 position, and finished with a winning 3-2 record for the tournament. Congratulations to Cindy Vojtech who, playing at the very challenging #1 spot, lost only one match the whole weekend, and that was a hard-fought 10, 5, (8), (10), 6 loss to a tough Boston player.
D Team
The Dee Cee Nasty Women were one of 16 D teams entered in Howe Cup this year. New to the team were NCS player Rachel Capps, playing at the #4 position, and SquashWise junior Nijah Fleet at #5. In the first round, the Nasty Women defeated a Philadelphia team 3-2, and then lost to a Connecticut team 2-3. In the Plate 2 Consolation they lost to a second Philly team, to a New Jersey team, and to the Dazzling D-vas (a mash-up New England team), finishing 12 in the field of 16 teams. Congratulations to Howe Cup newcomer Rachel Capps, who lost only the last match of the weekend, and that in 5 hard-fought games. We know you will be playing Howe Cup again!
Special thanks to two women who are “usual suspects” for Howe Cup but were unable to play this year: Elena Guarinello, who designed the team T-shirts for the National Capital Squash teams, and Donna Sharpe who ordered them. They were a big hit!
