Quebec, Ontario Capture National Titles in Thrilling Finals

    Strengthened by Canada's top two ranked players, Team Ontario, stepped onto the courts of the Windsor Squash & Fitness Club as the heavy favourites. Going 4-0 in round robin play, Ontario would come out on top of Pool A, and was set to meet the winner of Pool B for the championship title. Alberta, led by Danielle Letourneau, would go 3-0 in Pool B, securing their spot in the finals for a second year in a row. 

    Strengthened by Canada's top two ranked players, Team Ontario, stepped onto the courts of the Windsor Squash & Fitness Club as the heavy favourites. Going 4-0 in round robin play, Ontario would come out on top of Pool A, and was set to meet the winner of Pool B for the championship title. Alberta, led by Danielle Letourneau, would go 3-0 in Pool B, securing their spot in the finals for a second year in a row. 

    ON1 3 – AB 0
    Match Summary 

     
    Order Event Ontario 1 (F) Alberta (F) Score Points
    1 WS1 Sam Cornett Danielle Letourneau 11-5 7-11 11-8 11-7 40-31
    2 WS2 Hollie Naughton Jackie Moss 11-9 11-8 11-4 33-21
    3 WS3 Micaala Seth Jaime Laird 11-7 11-4 11-7 33-18
     
    "We did really well for Ontario", said Hollie Naughton, Ontario Team member and reigning Canadian Women's Champion. It's an honour to wear Ontario on your back and to come out on top." Naughton's teammate and Canada's highest-ranked world competitor, Samantha Cornett praised the atmosphere for making it a top-notch event. "It was great here, so many quality matches, and having the whole community come together, both men and women," added Samantha Cornett. "The crowd at Windsor Squash and Fitness was so supportive and we are so grateful to all the sponsors who made this happen."
     

    On the men's side, it was a battle right to the end. After taking a match up each, the finals would come down to the final match up. 

    “I didn’t really know what was going on [next court], other than Shawn was ahead, “said Jason De Lierre as his swing match was likely to be the deciding match against Team Alberta.  “I try not to think about that.  I focused on my strategy, keep it simple, take the ball to the back, stay consistent, no easy points." 
     
    As Jason and his opponent Jacob Hooker were heading into the fourth game, the match between Alberta and Quebec's #1s was finishing, which meant that it would indeed all fall to the De Lierre/Hooker match to determine the 2018 champions.  “We’re a team.  We train together every day, we are all brothers.  We all make each other better.”
     
    When his brother stepped on the court for the fourth game in his championship-determining match, Shawn De Lierre, Canada's top-ranked male and veteran athlete, had just finished his match against Alberta's Andrew Schnell, and was courtside waiting to see if his Team Championship reign would continue. De Lierre versus Schnell is a battle Canadian fans have seen before, and like their two previous faceoffs – the 2015 Canadian Open Championships and the 2016 Canadian Open Championships – this was an epic battle of Canadian talent. Having split their two previous Championship matches, De Lierre taking the national title in 2015 and Schnell capturing it in 2016 – this match was anyones taking. Neither let the other runaway with it, each point was fought and earned, and in the end, De Lierre took the match and waited on his brother for the final result. 
     
    “There is an angel over me,” expressed Shawn De Lierre, the #1 for Quebec. “For some reason, every time I play in the Team Championships.”  This marks Shawn’s 9th team title – the most for any player in Canadian history.
     
    "Andrew [Schnell] is just so accurate.  I was down 9-10 in the fist set, and I managed to pull it back together for the win.  That was a turning point.  Andrew plays so well from ahead, he is a perfectionist.  So getting ahead was so important to me since he can sometimes not play as well when behind.”
     

    QC 2 – AB 1
    Match Sumnmary

    Order Event Quebec (M) Alberta (M) Score Points
    1 MS1 Shawn De Lierre Andrew Schnell 12-10 11-8 6-11 11-5 40-34
    2 WS2 David Baillargeon Graeme Schnell 13-11 8-11 7-11 6-11 34-44
    3 WS3 Jason De Lierre Jacob Hooker 11-8 9-11 11-5 11-5 42-29
     
    You can watch all the action from the 2018 Ciena Canadian Men's and Women's Team Championships, including both exciting final contests on Squashstream.tv at https://goo.gl/AYuQpr
     
    It was an incredible weekend for all participants, volunteers and spectators. Squash Canada wishes to thank Tournament Director, Graeme Williams, the entire staff and all volunteers at the Windsor Squash & Fitness Club, all the sponsors who made this incredible event possible and to Bob Mansbridge, Tournament Referee, and all the Squash Canada Officials. 
     

    FINAL RESULTS

    WOMEN'S
    Champions: Team Ontario 1
    Finalist: Team Alberta
    3rd Place: Team Ontario 2
    4th Place: Team Quebec
    5th Place: Team Saskatchewan
    6th Place: Team Manitoba
    7th Place: Team PEI
    8th Place: Team Nova Scotia
    9th Place: Team Canadian Armed Forces
     
    MEN'S
    Champions: Team Quebec
    Finalist: Team Alberta
    3rd Place: Team Ontario 1
    4th Place: Team Manitoba
    5th Place: Team British Columbia
    6th Place: Team Ontario 2
     
    Get caught up on the action in photos! Visit Squash Canada's photo gallery for the weekend's best shots.
     

    2018 Ciena Men's-Women's Team Champs