M. Tennis hosts local foes

Everything was going so smoothly for the Penn men's tennis team as they built their record to 7-3 overall, and a perfect 6-0 at home. There was no sign anything was going to change Thursday, as the Quaker's dismantled St. Joseph's in business-like fashion, five matches to none. But then came West Virginia, and Penn's smooth ride suddenly became jolted. The Mountaineers, serving the role as unhospitable guests, crushed the Quakers 7-0, and left Penn with more questions than answers. Was the loss an abberation? Can the Quakers rebound mentally from the loss and get back on track for a spot on the NCAAs? Can Penn stay healthy enough to win? These questions will begin to be answered today, as Penn (8-4) will take on Philadelphia-rivals Temple and LaSalle noon today at Levy Pavilion. "The Temple match will be a good test to see if we can bounce bach from West Virginia loss," sophomore Jeff Jackson said. "Both of those matches are matches we should win if we play well and just concentrate." The Quakers have another obstacle to overcome as freshman J.J Cramer will not play for at least several weeks. He sprained his ankle and partially tore some ligaments during against West Virginia. Penn, as it has done all year, will be forced to overcome injuries to its top players. "The key is for everyone to come back after the bad loss and loss of J.J. Cramer and just play solid," junior Marc Schecter said. "Everyone's mentality after the match was good. We thought we played closer than the score indicated." The good news for the Quakers is Temple and La Salle are no West Virginia. While West Virginia is a top team in Region 1, Temple and especially La Salle are not as heralded. However, while La Salle is generally considered a weak team by the Quakers, to a player Penn considers the Owls dangerous. In fact, Temple's top singles player is returning from a brief stint on the pro tour. "Temple is always ready to play us since we usually beat them," Schecter said. "They're always ready to knock us off. We have to take care of their surge in the beginning of the match." This matchup could serve as a confidence booster before the Quakers' Ivy League season begins Friday against Princeton. However, the Quakers are being careful not to look ahead. Only the top four teams in Region 1 will make the NCAAs, and a loss to a relatively weak team like Temple or La Salle would put their NCAA dreams in serious jeopardy. "Temple is a good enough team so they can beat us if we overlook them," senior captain David Nathan said. "We definitely have to be ready to play."