2018 NASH Cup – Get to Know – The Canadians
Get to Know….The 2018 CANADIANS
Nicole Bunyan – World Rank 61
Home Town: Victoria, BC
Club: Princeton Club of NY
Favourite Shot: Hold and Cross Drive
Nicole is from Victoria, and played her first NASH Cup in 2016. Since last fall she has risen as high as 59th in the world (March). 2018 has been a busy season with 9 events already complete and 5 more planned. She won her first PSA Tour Title in February besting two time NASH Cup Champion Maria Toorpakai Wazir 3-1.
Nicole plays Paula Jenkins in the opening round.
Website – http://squashonsquash.com
Facebook – @squashnic
Instagram – @nicolebunyan
Twitter – @squashnic
Samantha Cornett – World Rank 32
Home Town: Deep River, ON
Club: Mayfair Clubs; TAC
Favourite Shot: Forehand Cross Court Nick
Three-time Canadian Nationals title winner Sam has historically been the leading Canadian woman on the PSA World Tour. She claimed an impressive medal haul at the 2011 Pan American Games with gold and silver medals in the team event and singles event, respectively. In 2015 she picked up another silver (doubles) and 2 bronze (team & singles)
Sam retained the Montreal Open title in 2012 & 2013 and claimed her first Canadian Nationals Title in May 2013. She has won 9 PSA World Tour Titles and reached her career best ranking of 23rd in February 2018.
This will be Sam’s 3rd NASH Cup. She reached the semi-finals in 2016 and the quarter finals in 2017. The NASH Cup will be her 7th tournament in 2018. Following the NASH Cup Sam will get a bit of a break before competing in the W10 JC Women’s Open in Ottawa starting November 1st.
Website – http://samanthacornett.ca
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/samanthacornettsquash
Instagram – samanthaj.91
Twitter – @cornettsamantha
Shawn Delierre – World Rank 71
Home Town: Montreal, Quebec
Club: Club Sportif MAA
Favourite Shot: Get in there and dig
Shawn is one of the fittest players on the PSA World Tour and has, incredibly, appeared in three of the top five longest squash matches ever recorded.
He won his first title at the Quebec Open Classic in 2004 and grabbed his fifth at the Goodlife Squash Open in 2006. The Canadian won three consecutive PSA World Tour titles in 2010 with his 10th title coming on home-soil at the Nash Cup in September 2011. Shawn has now been in 28 finals and claimed 16 titles…the most recent of which was this February 2017 at a $10K in Atlanta.
In January 2015 he played a mammoth 170 minute semi-final clash with Leo Au in the Gas City Pro-Am in making headlines as it broke the record for being the longest match ever recorded.
This will be Shawn’s 7th NASH Cup. He’s got at least 4 more events in 2018 starting at White Oaks in October where he is currently the top seed (entries will close Sept 4th)
Twitter – @ShawnDelierre
Paula Jenkins – World Rank 254
Home Town: London, Ontario
Club: London Squash and Fitness
Favourite Shot: TBA
Paula has enjoyed competing in squash for over 30 years. Her passion for the game was ignited when she played for the Western Squash Team.
This will be Paula’s 4th NASH Cup; her 6th PSA event; but her first as an official PSA player. Her top finish has been as a quarter finalist at the 2016 Simon Warder event in Sarnia.
She will be facing Canada’s Nicole Bunyan in the opening round of play. They last played in the 2016 NASH Cup where Nicole came out ahead. Later this fall Paula hopes to play in the Simon Warder event where she is currently on the reserve list (Entry closes October 2nd)
Thomas King – World Rank 201
Home Town: Regina, Saskatchewan
Thomas joined the PSA in July 2015 and will be competing in the NASH Cup for the 3rd time. He’s got a busy fall schedule planned and will be coming from The North Coast Open in Australia (Aug 30-Sept 2). After the NASH Cup he’s entered in at least 3 more events starting with the Apsin Cup in Charlottetown.
Thomas will be facing Ashley Davies (ENG; 128) in the opening round.
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/squasher4444
David Mill – World Rank 560
While David first joined the PSA in July 2016 it has not been a focus. He enters this year’s NASH Cup as a wildcard entry and is looking to pick up some points which will help him get into other tournaments. He’s currently on the reserve list for both the White Oaks and Simon Warder events. David is a graduate of Western and a familiar face at London Squash.
David will be facing Nick Sachvie in the opening round.
Mike McCue – World Rank 92
Home Town: Sudbury, Ontario
Club: Toronto Athletic Club
Favourite Shot: Backhand Volley Drop
This will be Mike’s 6th NASH Cup. Mike’s been climbing the PSA rankings since 2010 and reached a level of 81st this past March.
Mike has made tournament finals 5 times and won his first title this past February in Calgary. The NASH Cup field is strong, but we have often seen players from the middle of the pack work their way to the top.
Mike is from Sudbury but lives and trains in the sunny south (Toronto) with Jonathan Power and Jamie Hickox. From London Mike will move onto the Aspin Cup in Charlottetown PEI where he is the top Canadian and #6 seed.
Twitter – @mccuemike
Andrew Schnell – World Rank 111
Home Town: Calgary Alberta
Club: 
The Glencoe Club, WHC Edgemont
Favourite Shot: Backhand Straight Drop
Andrew returns to the NASH Cup for the 7th time, the most of any player in the tournament. He joined the PSA in 2009, and his top NASH Cup finish was the semi-finals in 2012. Andrew comes from Calgary and lists his brother Graeme as his coach. The two were gold medal finishers in the Pan-Am Games along with Shawn Delierre.
Andrew’s most recent PSA title was in 2017 winning a $10K purse in Calgary. He’s had 6 final’s appearances and has won 4 of them. Andrew is entered in 4 more events over the next two months including the Aspin Cup in Charlottetown.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/andrewschnellsquash
Twitter – @a_schnell91
Website – http://www.andrewschnell.com
Ahad Raza – world rank 323
Home Town: Toronto, Ontario
Ahad joined the PSA in March 2017 and has competed in 10 events since. He’s faced many past Nash Cup participants including Declan James; Albert Shoihet; Chris Binnie; Eddie Charlton; Cameron Seth; David Biallargeon; and Henrik Mustonen.
Ahad will be facing #9 seed Vikram Malhotra of India (rank 82) in the opening round.
Nick Sachvie – world rank 96
Home Town: St. Catharines, Ontario
Club: Toronto Athletic Club
Favourite Shot: Forehand Kill
Nick played in the PSA from 2009 to 2011 and then took two years off before returning in 2013. He has been in the top 100 since January 2017. This will be Nick’s 6th NASH Cup appearance. He is starting as the 12th seeded player and will face wildcard entry David Mill in the opening.
Nick is from St. Catharines and trains in Toronto with his brother Chris as his coach. The NASH Cup will be his 7th tournament of 2018. His last title was a $10K in spring 2017. Nick will continue from the NASH Cup to Charlottetown PEI for the Aspin Cup Then he has another 4 entries through the end of the year.
Twitter – @bignico22
Cameron Seth – world rank 173
Home Town: Fergus, Ontario
Club: University of Waterloo
Favourite Shot: Counter Drop
This will be Cameron’s 4th NASH Cup. He joined the PSA in August 2015, cracked the world’s top 200 in April, and continues to rise. His August 1st ranking is a carrier best 172. This will be Cameron’s 9th event of 2018. Following the NASH Cup Cameron could be playing as many as 8 more events in 2018 starting with the Aspin Cup in Charlottetown where he is the 12th ranked entry.
Nikki Todd – world rank 52
Home Town: Regina, Saskatchewan
Club: Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto
Favourite Shot: Forehand Drop
Nikki has participated in all 5 NASH Cup women’s draws making the semi-finals three times and the quarter finals twice. She started playing squash at age 14 and joined the tour in 2012. Her semi-final finish in the 2013 Nash Cup helped propel her into the world’s top 100 for the first time where she has remained since. She reached a ranking high of 49 in April 2018. Nikki won 
her first title last fall at the Simon Warder Memorial tournament in Sarnia winning 3-2 over Diana Garcia of Mexico.
Nikki is from Regina and trains in Toronto with coach Jamie Nichols. After London she plans to move onto the Oracle Netsuite Open where she is currently the #2 reserve player.