SEASON PREVIEW: M. Squash expects to beat Cornell

When the Penn men's squash team takes to the courts against Cornell at noon tomorrow, it will be expecting a tuneup rather than a grueling battle. Coach Ned Edwards is looking forward to an easy victory for the simple reason that his team, which is currently ranked third in the Ivy League, is "definitely stronger than Cornell." The reason for the Quakers' confidence is their special blend of talent and experience. The top six men in the rotation are all returning from last year. They will not have to endure the inevitable adjustment period to playing intercollegiately. As for the players in the seven through 10 spots, they are new to Penn. Edwards hopes they soon realize they are playing at the next level so they can "stay as focused as possible." Practices have been particularly tough in the week leading up to the first match. In addition to the regular practice, which includes running and drills, the team had several challenge matches that determined, among other things, whether Steve Scharff or Andrew Braff will be playing No. 1. Realistically, the specific order will not matter against a significantly weaker opponent like the Big Red, which is now seventh in the Ivy League. Each player is so much stronger than his competition that while most squash matches should take between 45 minutes and an hour. Edwards believes "a player like Andrew could easily be off the court in as little as a half hour." Penn is fortunate to begin with a team like Cornell because the players can be better conditioned for the latter part of their schedule, which includes Princeton and Harvard. As for tomorrow, Edwards is expecting to take care of business and then get back to work. "I'd like to think that we will win in each position on Saturday," he said, "but we probably won't hit our proper form until mid-January."