Penn men's squash halts cruising Midshipmen

After upsetting Princeton, No. 16 Navy came to Philadelphia looking to upset another top-10 team and continue its torrid 12-0 start.

Penn men’s squash was looking to make a statement in its home opener and avoid falling prey to a team that has given the squad trouble in recent years.

Only one narrative could survive.

As it turned out, an upset was not in the cards as the No. 9 Red and Blue easily beat the Midshipmen in a 7-2 affair.

“It’s incredible playing on my home court,” said freshman No. 1 Marwan Mahmoud , who won his home debut in a 3-0 sweep over Navy’s Andrew McGuinness . “I play 10 times better on a team.”

The ninth ranked Quakers (4-0) received their production from an unlikely source this match.

Penn squash’s youngest members also happened to be the squad’s best. The top five positions were all taken by first-year students, who combined to not drop a single set.

“The freshmen were fantastic,” coach Jack Wyant said. “They weren’t intimidated by the moment.”

The inexperience of these freshmen proved to be an advantage as all five picked up their first victories at the Ringe Squash Courts. The top of the ladder has transformed from Penn’s weakness to one of its biggest strengths.

“They’ve elevated our ability to be successful on game day,” Wyant said. ”They’re making everyone better day to day.”

Despite the final score, there was plenty of drama for the supporters of both squads as three matches went to five sets. Senior captain Michael Mutscheller, sophomore Rahil Fazelbhoy, and junior Tyler Odell all had matches that went the distance.

Only Odell would emerge victorious, though, putting away Navy’s William Walker with an 11-7 final set.

“It was nice to have everyone here supporting us at home,” Odell said. “It felt good getting my first win.”

With the victory, the Quakers now have a 15-match winning streak against Navy (12-1) and a 45-26 edge in the all-time series. During this streak, the wins have been tougher and tougher to come by for the Red and Blue as the yearly matchup evolves into a budding rivalry.

“Navy is always a very tough match,” Odell said. “They always come out strong and play their hardest.”

Penn has built strong momentum as they head into their toughest matchup of the young season. No. 7 Franklin & Marshall come to Ringe to take on a Quakers team desperate to prove they belong in Potter Cup contention.

“We’re looking to win,” Wyant said. “That’s our only goal on Sunday.”

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