M. Squash looking up

Penn men's squash coach Ned Edwards thought it would be a good idea to keep his team intense and competitive during the long winter break. So he sent the Quakers on a trip. Assistant coach Titus Cranch brought his top five players to a tournament in Atlanta Jan. 6. Steve Scharff, Andrew Braff, Craig Rappaport, Ian Childs and Sanjay Nayar were one of 20 five-man teams competing. They compiled a record of 3-2. Less important than the record, however, was the experience and exposure the team received while playing in the tournament. "It was a very good experience," co-captain Craig Rappaport said. "It got us back into the match play mindset, and we had a lot of fun also." The team starts a long stretch of matches today in the West Point Team Invitational. Penn (3-0) will square off against Army, Bowdoin, Vassar, Hobart and Fordham in a round-robin tournament. Edwards is concerned the long break might have softened his players. Although the team was in fine shape before the end of last semester, he admitted fitness has dropped off. "It's too early to say how the group is playing or even what our lineup will be, but this week of practice and this weekend's invitational will go a long way to establish our team and clarify a lot," he said. "Hopefully, we will regain our competitive mindset with some good matches against some decent competition." The players cannot help but look ahead to next week. The Quakers play Franklin & Marshall Wednesday, Trinity and Williams Saturday, and Amherst Sunday. Edwards said this is the most important stretch of the team's schedule. "Next week is what we're preparing for," Rappaport said. "If we lose, then it's devastating. If we win, then we're having a great season."