Thrilling Final in the A League Championship 
    -- by Rajeev Gupta

In what turned out to be the closest (and most exciting) contest in recent times, Potomac Squash Club's team won the A league summer 2000 final at the University Club. Despite the University Club winning more games (7-6), they lost in total matches, the final score being 2 to 1. The evening started with a tough match-up of Terry Hindermann of U Club vs Daniel Camp of PSC where Terry won the 1st and the 3rd games but Dan won the decisive 4th and 5th games. Chip Lindquist won all 3 games against Rajeev Gupta to secure a win for his team and tie the matches at one a piece. The final match-up was Ron Del Sesto of U Club vs Shahid Khan of PSC. Ron won the first two games placing U Club just a game away from securing the championship but Shahid refused to go down without a fight. The next two games proved to be very close but Shahid managed to hang on to win them both setting the stage for a nail biting fifth game. Both players dug deep in their depleted reservoirs of stamina and energy, and Shahid ran away with the fifth game by a score of 9-2. Congratulations to PSC and the rest of the A teams for a great season!

Potomac 2, University Club 1 (at University Club)
- #1, Dan Camp (POT) def. Terry Hindermann (UC1), 3-2
- #2, Chip Lindquist (UC1) def. Rajeev Gupta (POT), 3-0
- #3, Shahid Khan (POT) def. Ron del Sesto (UC1), 3-2

Finals Postponed

Due to travel by some of the players, the A League final between Potomac and University 1 has been rescheduled, to be played on Wednesday, September 6th.

August 23

Potomac 3, Arlington/Regency 0 (at Potomac)
- #1, Dan Camp (POT) def. Steve Hufford (ARG), 3-1
- #2, Shahid Khan (POT) def. Pascal Leinard (ARG), 3-0
- #3, Ross Campbell (POT) def. John Hubbell (ARG), 3-1

Unofficial Head-to-Head Records
(read across for wins; read down for losses)

Unofficial Standings
(through August 16th)

August 16

University1 2, Arlington/Regency 1 (at University Club)
- #1, Terry Hindermann (UC1) def. Steve Hufford (ARG), 3-1 (8-10, 9-4, 9-4, 9-2)
- #2, Pascal Leinard (ARG) def. Ron del Sesto (UC1), 3-2 (8-9, 9-4, 10-8, 7-9, 9-7)
- #3, Chip Lindquist (UC1) def. Phil Ayliff (ARG), 3-1 (9-1, 9-3, 7-9, 9-7)

Fitness Company 3, University2 0 (at The Fitness Company)
- #1, Hunt Richardson (TFC) won by default
- #2, Tim Makepeace (TFC) won by default
- #3, Dave Dickieson (TFC) won by default

August 9

University Club #1 wrapped up a 1st-place finish in the regular season tonight, when University Club #2 was unable to field a team and had to forfeit all three matches. Even if UC1 is swept in next week's season finale against Arlington/Regency, they will still finish with the best record in the league. They will then get a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and await the winner of the 1st-round matchup between Arlington/Regency and Potomac. Potomac will be the home team in that 1st-round playoff, because 3-0 sweep of TFC on Wednesday assured them of finishing 2nd, behind UC1.

Potomac 3, The Fitness Company 0 (at Potomac)
- #1, Dan Camp (POT) def. Hunt Richardson (TFC), 3-1
- #2, Ross Campbell (POT) def. Teddy Assefa (TFC), 3-2
- #3, Rajeev Gupta (POT) def. Tim Makepeace (TFC), 3-0

University1 3, University2 0 (at University Club)
Team forfeit

August 2

Arlington/Regency 2, Potomac 1 (at Regency)
- #1, Steve Hufford (ARG) def. Vikram Chandra (POT), 3-0 (9-1, withdraw due to injury)
- #2, Pascal Leinard (ARG) def. John Velasquez (POT), 3-0
- #3, Mike Santille (POT) def. Phil Ayliff (ARG), 3-1

University1 3, The Fitness Company 0 (at The Fitness Company)
- #1, Terry Hindermann (UC1) def. Tim Makepeace (TFC), 3-0 (9-4, 9-4, 9-6)
- #2, Chip Lindquist (UC1) def. Kevin Haggerty (TFC), 3-1 (9-2, 9-5, 8-10, 9-3)
- #3, Ron del Sesto (UC1) won by default

July 26

Arlington/Regency 3, University2 0 (at Regency)
- #1, Steve Hufford (ARG) def. Margaret Elias (UC2), 3-0
- #2, Pascal Leinard (ARG) def. Chuck Miller (UC2), 3-0
- #3, Phil Ayliff (ARG) def. Dave Conroy (UC2), 3-1

University1 2, Potomac 1 (at University1)
- #1, Terry Hindermann (UC1) def. Dan Camp (POT), 3-2
- #2, Chip Lindquist (UC1) def. Shahid Khan (POT), 3-0
- #3, Rajeev Gupta (POT) def. Ron del Sesto (UC1), 3-0 (9-3, 9-7, 9-3)

July 19

Arlington/Regency 3, The Fitness Company 0 (at The Fitness Company)
- #1, Steve Hufford (ARG) def. Tim Makepeace (TFC), 3-2 (5-9, 6-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-6)
- #2, Pascal Leinard (ARG) def. Dave Dickieson (TFC), 3-0 (9-0, 9-6, 9-6)
- #3, John Hubell (ARG) def. Rajeet Sandhu (TFC), 3-2 (4-9, 9-2, 9-10, 10-9, 9-6)

Potomac 3, University2 0 (at Potomac)
- #1, Shahid Khan (POT) def. Scott Driscoll (UC2), 3-0
- #2, Ross Campbell (POT) def. Ghirma Meres (UC2), 3-0
- #3, Rajeev Gupta (POT) def. John Sanders (UC2), 3-0

July 12

University1 3, Arlington/Regency 0 (at ARG)
- #1, Terry Hindermann (UC1) def. Pascal Leinard (ARG), 3-0
- #2, Chip Lindquist (UC1) def. John Hubell (ARG), 3-0
- #3, Ron del Sesto (UC1) def. Phil Ayliff (ARG), 3-1

University2 2, The Fitness Company 1 (at University Club)
- #1, Hunt Richardson (TFC) def. Margaret Elias (UC2), 3-0
- #2, David Conroy (UC2) def. Teddy Assefa (TFC), 3-2
- #3, Chuck Miller (UC2) def. Tim Makepeace (TFC), 3-1

Worldgate pulls out of the Summer Season

League Coordinator Kemp Prugh announced Thursday, July 6th, "It appears that Worldgate is unable to field a team for this summer's league." Accordingly, all the "WG" slots in the summer schedule have been replaced with byes.

July 5

Potomac 2, The Fitness Company 1 (at The Fitness Company)
- #1, Hunt Richardson (TFC) def. Shahid Khan (POT), 3-2
- #2, Ross Campbell (POT) def. Tim Makepeace (TFC), 3-0
- #3, Vikram Chandra (POT) def. Ranjit Sandhu (TFC), 3-2

University1 3, University2 0 (at University Club)
- #1, Terry Hindermann (UC1) def. Margaret Elias (UC2), 3-1
- #2, Ron del Sesto (UC1) def. Dan Nichols (UC2), 3-1
- #3, Chip Lindquist (UC1) def. Chuck Miller (UC2), 3-0

June 28

Potomac 3, Arlington/Regency 0 (at Potomac)
- #1, Shahid Khan (POT) def. Steve Hufford (ARG), 3-0
- #2, Rajeev Gupta (POT) def. Pascal Leinard (ARG), 3-0
- #3, Ross Campbell (POT) def. John Hubell (ARG), 3-0

University1 3, The Fitness Company 0 (at University Club)
- #1, Terry Hindermann (UC1) def. Hunt Richardson (TFC), 3-2
- #2, Ron del Sesto (UC1) def. Teddy Assefa (TFC), 3-0
- #3, Chip Lindquist (UC1) def. Joe Cohen (TFC), 3-1

June 21

Arlington/Regency 2, University2 1 (at University Club)
- #1, Steve Hufford (ARG) def. Dan Nichols (UC2), 3-2
- #2, Chuck Miller (UC2) def. John Hubell (ARG), 3-1
- #3, Pascal Leinard (ARG) won by default

Potomac 2, University1 1 (at Potomac)
- #1, Dan Camp (POT) def. Terry Hindermann (UC1), 3-1
- #2, Rajeev Gupta (POT) def. Chip Lindquist (UC1), 3-2
- #3, Ron del Sesto (UC1) won by default

Summer Season Week 1, Results for June 14

Arlington/Regency 3, Fitness Company 0 (at Regency)
- #1, Steve Hufford (ARG) def. Hunt Richardson (TFC), 3-1
- #2, John Hubell (ARG def. Dave Dickieson (TFC), 3-0
- #3, Phil Ayliff (ARG) def. Kevin Haggerty (TFC), 3-0

Potomac 2, University2 1 (at University Club)
- #1, Rajeev Gupta (POT) def. Scott Driscoll (UC2), 3-0
- #2, Dan Nichols (UC2) def. Ross Campbell (POT), 3-1
- #3, Vikram Chandra (POT) def. Chuck Miller (UC2), 3-1

Chevy Chase Repeats as A-League Champs

The A-League winter championship for 1999-2000 went to a joint team from TFC-Chevy Chase and Potomac Squash Club (CCP). In the finals, played at Potomac on March 15th, CCP dropped the #1 match to the visitors from TFC-Lafayette Center, but won everything else, to take the title, 3-1.

After finishing the regular season in first place, CCP went through the playoffs on their home courts. In the semi-finals, played on March 8th, they lost only two games in sweeping the fourth-place team from University Club, 4-0.

Meanwhile, third-place TFC-Lafayette Center had to go on the road and overcome the home court advantage of Washington Sports Club. The top two matches were both see-saw affairs that went five games, but they both ended up in TFC's pocket.

All the playoff matches were refereed, and Hunt Richardson, the USSRA Regional Coordinator for Officials, has declared that the goal for the next winter season is to have all A League matches refereed.

Semi-Final scores:

TFC-Lafayette Center 3, Washington Sports Club 1
#1 Hunt Richardson (TFC) def. Steve Hufford (WSC); 3-2
#2 Ron del Sesto (TFC) def. Ross Campbell (WSC); 2-9, 9-4, 2-9, 9-6, 9-6
#3 Dave Fisher (WSC) def. Jeremy Feinstein (TFC); 10-8, 9-5, 3-9, 9-6
#4 Tim Makepeace (TFC) def. Ish Aslam (WSC); 9-0, 9-7, 10-8

Chevy Chase/Potomac 4, University Club 0
#1 Shahid Khan (CCP) def. Chip Lindquist (UNI); 3-0
#2 Jonathan Lam (CCP) def. Terry Hindermann (UNI); 3-2
#3 Stephen Lilley (CCP) def. Scott Driscoll (UNI); 3-0
#4 Rajeev Gupta (CCP) def. Ghirma Meres (UNI); 3-0

Final scores:

Chevy Chase/Potomac 3, TFC-Lafayette Center 1
#1 Hunt Richardson (TFC) def. Stephen Lilley (CCP); 7-9, 9-5, 9-0, 9-3
#2 Shahid Khan (CCP) def. Ron Del Sesto (TFC); 9-6, 9-3, 9-0
#3 Jonathan Lam (CCP) def. Jeremy Feinstein (TFC); 7-9, 9-4, 3-9, 9-3, 9-0
#4 Rajeev Gupta (CCP) def. Tim Makepeace (TFC); 10-9, 9-4, 9-4

Copyright 2000 National Capital Squash Racquets Association