Navy senior Tucker George will play in the featured match on Friday at 12:30 pm at Halsey Field House.

Feb. 27, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Thanks to the recent completion of the Halsey Field House International Squash Courts Complex, the Naval Academy will serve as the host school for this weekend's College Squash Association Men's and Women's Individual Championships. The tournament is on tap to begin Friday at 9:00 am with action taking place at both Halsey Field House and Bancroft Hall. The competition will run through Sunday with the consolations set for 9:00 am and the championship matches at 2:00 pm.

More than 50 schools nationwide will be represented, in addition to Western Ontario, a Canadian institution of higher education. The tournament also reaches out to all corners of the world as more than 15 countries have players studying in the United States and Canada and will compete in the men's and women's tournaments this weekend.

The men's tournament will feature the top 90 squash players in the game battling it out in two divisions. Traditionally, the field has been limited to 64 players, however, Navy's vast squash complex has enabled all 90 players entered into the competition the opportunity to play this year. The Potter Division traditionally features the top 32 players in the country, while the Molloy Division hosts the remaining field. Similarly, the women's tournament will also feature two brackets with the best 84 players fighting for the individual title. The top 20 finishers in both the men's and women's tournaments will receive All-America recognition.

"As a coach, it is very exciting to host this tournament at the Naval Academy," said eighth-year Navy head coach Craig Dawson, who garnered All-America recognition as a Midshipman in 1973. "The completion of our 12 world class courts this past fall enabled us to be able to host this prestigious event. Additionally, for the first time at the Naval Academy, we will erect an all-glass court in the Halsey Field House Main Arena where we will play the featured matches."

Navy, who will have four men and one woman competing in this weekend's championship, plans to take full advantage of the glass court. On Friday, Navy's No. 1 player, senior Tucker George (West Hartford, Conn.), will battle his opponent at 12:30 pm in front of what the Naval Academy hopes will be a record-setting crowd.

"The hope is to have 2,000 fans in attendance for Tucker's match," added Dawson. "If he can win his match, he will have a chance at becoming Navy's first All-American since Jamie Slough, who was a four-time All-American in 1991, '92, '93 and '94."

Earlier in the year, George admitted the importance of earning All-America recognition in this, his senior year.

"I can't understate it," said George, who has spent he season ranked 16th in the country. "It's something I've been getting closer to every year. Three years in a row, I've been one win away from becoming an All-American. We've done well as a program over the last several years, but I'd really like to leave my mark."

George heads into the weekend with a 12-2 record this season and has produced a 57-27 record over the course of his four years at the Academy.

Joining George this weekend are team captain and classmate Jeff Sawin (Haverford, Pa.), along with sophomore Nils Mattsson (Spring House, Pa.) and newcomer Allan Lutz (McLean, Va.). Sawin and Mattsson are no strangers to this tournament, as the two battled it out a year ago for the Molloy Division title. Mattsson trailed Sawin two games to none, but rallied to beat his more experienced teammate in a five-game match. Mattsson fell behind early in the match as Sawin looked to have the match in control with back-to-back wins, 9-3 and 9-6. Mattsson stopped the momentum briefly with a 9-2 victory in the third game to narrow Sawin's lead to 2-1. Sawin looked to have the match won as he took an 8-5 lead in the fourth and even had a match ball to win, however, Mattsson fought back to take the fourth game, 10-8. He claimed the match win with a 9-1 victory in the deciding game and became the first player under Dawson's watch to win an individual title at the championship.

Sawin has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in recent memory, amassing a four-year 84-29 record, including an 18-5 mark in his senior year. Meanwhile, Mattsson has won 41 of his 57 matches in his first two seasons at the Academy, including a 16-7 record this year.

Lutz has been a welcome addition to the Navy lineup this season where he has played the No. 3 and 4 positions on the ladder in his rookie campaign. He owns a 19-7 record and for the second consecutive year, Navy will be represented in the individual tournament by a member of the freshman class.

In addition to the four members of the men's team, Dawson will also enter freshman Julie Kiernan (Bernardsville, N.J.) into the women's tournament. Over the weekend, Kiernan helped lead Navy to a third-place finish at the 2008 CSA Women's Team Championship, commonly referred to as the Howe Cup. Kiernan won all three of her matchups at the team tournament without dropping a game, as the Mids were one of six teams to compete in the Emerging Teams Division of the tournament, a first for the Naval Academy.