USA Captures 2016 Can-Am Cup

    By just 7 points, Team USA captured the 2016 Can-Am Cup over a hard-fighting, competitive Canadian crew.
     

    By just 7 points, Team USA captured the 2016 Can-Am Cup over a hard-fighting, competitive Canadian crew.
     
    The Can-Am Cup is a hardball doubles event where 60 of Canada’s top doubles players compete against 60 of the USA’s top double players.  Over the course of 3 days, the teams compete in three rounds, where the scoring for each round range from 0.5 points per game to 1.5 points per game, ultimately resulting in the Can-Am Cup champions.  The men play for the Bernheimer-Bell Trophy and the women play for the Gillen-Pierce Trophy; the overall winners win the Can-AM Cup. 
     
    After the first full day of competition Canada was up 11-10 in the men's division and the USA were up 9-4 in the women's division. Both countries would go on to hold those leads with Canada claiming the men’s trophy 27-26 and the USA claiming the women’s trophy 22-14.  With the scores combined, Team USA captured their 4th Can-Am Cup with an overall score 48-41.  
     
    In the Can-Am 10-year history this was by far the most successful event yet held from the spectacular facility, outstanding food, incredibly well organized and all the drama – – it was top-notch from start to finish.  No one could have scripted a more exciting ‘Super Sunday’.
     
    2016 Team Canada Captain, Chris Wheeler, provided his summary of the weekend:
     
    The final numbers: US women won the Gillen-Pierce Trophy 22-14. Canada won the men's Bernheimer-Bell Trophy 28-26 and US retained the overall CanAm Cup 48-42. 
     
    The US women were, to say the least, very confident of winning (due to their style of continuous deadly lobs), but our women put themselves in with a shot after that great day Saturday. We needed to win 4 of 6 matches on the final day, Sunday. Going into Sunday, the US Women led by 2 points and the Canadian men led by 2 points.  The overall Canam Cup was tied.  Although we only won 1, three of the other matches went to 5 games so a break or two could have led to a different outcome.
     
    The Men's finale was so thrilling. We needed to win 3 of 6 on the final day.  At 2-2 after 4 matches, Scott (Stoneburgh) and Dean (Brown) took on the US #1 s 45+. An amazing display of squash at the highest level. Two games all, a close 5th game until Canada reaches 14–11. Heart-pounding as the US pull back to 14–14 then a long rally ends when Chris Spahr, the US LW tries for a winner and just catches the top of the tin. Canada wins the men's competition. All those half points and gutsy 5 game wins made the difference. Wonderful!
     
    Another classic match for the history books was Canada’s Men’s Open #2 of Robert Hong & Nick Sachvie’ (the underdogs) who played the seasoned US Open #1 Trevor Guinnes & Will Hartigan on Friday night in a nail-biting thriller.  With both teams tied 14-14 in the 5th, US’ Guinnes took his partner return shot to the head for Canada to win 15-14. The weekend was packed with wicked racquet skill, incredible athleticism fuelled by national pride.
     
    it's been a great pleasure and privilege to be Captain.  Let's all get ready to take all 3 cups in 2018.
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    Congratulations goes out to all of Team Canada’s members (pictured and listed below)! It was a weekend of great squash and close results.  
    Results from head-to-head matches can be viewed at http://calxo.com/t.html?loc=canam&displayId=d1
     
    The 6th edition of the Can-Am Cup will be on home soil at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club, October 26-28, 2018. 
     
    Team Canada, pictured above, members: Alex Carter, Jeff Lurie, Robert Hong, Chris Sachvie, Mike Leckie, Eric Baldwin, Steve Burnham, Chris Deratnay, Paul Zander, Scott Stoneburgh, Dean Brown, Alan Grant, Taylor Fawcett, Bart Sambrook, Andrew Slater, Steve Lawton, Ingus Sigallis, Fred Reid, Alan Hunt, Pat Richardson, Steve Hisey, Brian Covernton, Michael Letourneau, John Boynton, Tim Griffin, Brian Murray, Sean McDonough, Dave Potter, Chris Wheeler, Jim Bruce, Molson Robertson, Peter Hatcher, David Bogert, Mike Wilson, Ritchie Bell, Seanna Keating, Stephanie Hewitt, Marcia Sier, Nicole Pirko, Lindsay Auld, Kathy Conquergood, Annette White, Kirsteen Burton, Julie Multamaki, Sara McNeill, Jody Warden, Tammy Sangster, Robbin Morrison, Michele Ramsey, Diane Naughton, Cathy Covernton, Megan Hill, Cathy Tuckwell, Francis Frost, Ruth Castellino, Lindsey Hermer-Bell, Lolly Gillen, Sybille Witt, Laura Ramsay