Men's Squash Team Championships

So given that I won't likely be playing another racquetball tournament until the selection event in February, I thought it appropriate to branch out a bit with respect to my topics. With all the excitement and family proceedings over the holidays I doubt this blog is high on anyone's priority list! Not to worry though, I thoroughly enjoy updating random folks on the somewhat mundane activities that comprise my daily life :)

To wit, I thought I'd write about the upcoming Canadian Mens Squash Team Championships that I've been selected to compete in at the beginning of January! The tournament is to be held at the Club Sportif MAA in Montreal, QC. For more event info check out the link on Squash Canada's Website: http://squash.ca/en/events/2013-canadian-mens-teams-championship-1

The event brings together one 3-player team from each province/territory (with the host province/territory having the option to add an additional team) to determine the best "Mens Squash Team" in Canada! Teams compete in a head-to-head draw format, with each team member playing their respective adversary (#1v#1, etc) in a best of 5 match. The team winning the majority of matches (at least 2/3) wins the contest and moves onto the next round.

This year there are 11 teams competing. This includes representation from all provinces and territories (except for B.C., Yukon Territories, and Nunavut), 2 teams from host province Quebec, and an Armed Forces contingent to round out the draw. Quebec #1 will come into the tournament seeded first, with Alberta's and Ontario's squads rounding out the top 3. These to me are the most likely teams to bring home the title, as all 3 have cumulative team rankings under 70. Quebec's seeding would seem to be misleading if judged solely by the cumulative rankings of their players, but with David Phillips and Jason Delierre being somewhat inactive in recent years on the national circuit, their rankings have been somewhat inflated. I would not be surprised to see either of them "upset" their higher ranked counterparts from the Alberta or Ontario contingents. All 3 teams have 2 players in the top 10, so there will be hotly contested matches all around, and anything can happen. The semis and final will be excellent squash for anyone who comes to watch.

I'm hoping to write another post with predictions for the matchups once the draw has been decided so keep tabs on the blog and look for updates in the new year