The Brock Badgers men's squash team are hoping to peak at the right time as they compete against Ontario's best. After finishing sixth season last season, the Badgers are hungry for more.
This year's Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Men's Squash Championship will take place from Friday, Feb. 9 to Sunday, Feb. 11 at the White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The tournament is hosted by the Western Mustangs.
On Friday, the Badgers take on the 2023 OUA silver medalist Toronto Varsity Blues at 1 p.m. and Waterloo Warriors at 4:30 p.m. in round-robin play. Their final round-robin match will take place on Saturday against the Guelph Gryphons at 9:30 a.m., who the Badgers have defeated this year 5-2. Bracket matches start on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., with the top four teams from each pool making the semifinals and the bottom two competing in the consolation semifinals. Finals and other consolation matches will take place on Sunday.
To start off the year, the Badgers went 2-0, defeating the York Lions – Glendon 6-1 and the McMaster Marauders 4-3. After a 1-2 Jester's Crossover No. 1 at White Oaks, the Badgers suffered a speed bump, falling to the Waterloo Warriors and 39-time defending OUA champion Western Mustangs at the Jester's Sectional No. 2.
However, the team bounced back in their most recent outing, finishing 2-1 with victories over the Guelph Gryphons and the York Lions - Glendon for the second time this season.
"This year we have a lot of depth, so we feel confident. The team has been training hard and attending practices and playing in the local leagues at White Oaks," said head coach Matt Easingwood. "We have seen a lot of improvement from the players overall and the team has really come together."
Leading the way for Brock will be leader and captain of the team Tyson Schille. The Calgary product was the lone Badger who won a match against the Mustangs earlier in the year. Schille brings a high level of commitment and experience from his time with Team Alberta.
Easingwood has built a large recruiting footprint, going to different parts of Canada and the rest of the world to bolster his squad.
Both Kemar Lord and Luque Lockhart hail from the Carribean and will be big-time players counted on to win matches this weekend.
Finley Armstrong, a first-year athlete from British Columbia, will be playing third for the Badgers on the weekend and has vastly improved during the year.
Another talent that has come from across the world is Ali Jariwalla. Hailing from Tanzania, the first-year business major has fit right into the provincial circuit, winning multiple matches during the season.
The Badgers also rely on some homegrown talent, with Jeffrey Dommasch holding a top four spot on the team. The local Pelham product will be competing in his home club of White Oaks this weekend.
Easingwood is hoping all those pieces from around the world can fit together to deliver a strong weekend at the provincial championship.
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