Homecoming crowd looks on as M. Squash splits a pair

and David Stier Squash is in season. In front of a resounding homecoming crowd at the Ringe Courts, the Penn men's squash team split a doubleheader. Although they succumbed to conference powerhouse Dartmouth, 6-3, Penn convincingly defeated Navy, 9-0. With a mixture of drives down the side and deft dropshots, the underdog Quakers (3-7, 1-3 Ivy League) were able to stay close with the Big Green (9-2, 4-0). For a young, inexperienced team, this defeat will serve as a building block for upcoming years. Last year, Penn graduated six seniors from the starting lineup and coach Jim Masland is in his first season at the helm. Presently, the team starts its only two seniors, co-captains Leif Bergquist and Rajiv Mehta. Playing in an emotional final home match, the captains knew that a victory over Dartmouth would prove to be extremely difficult. They had been preparing all season, however, and felt that they were up to the challenge. Although they were unable to boost their Ivy League record to .500, Berquist was impressed with the way the team played. "We showed some heart, especially when it was close," Berquist said. The Quakers traded victories with Dartmouth to a 3-3 standstill. With the last three matches on the court playing simultaneously, the first team to win two would prevail. An enthusiastic crowd of teammates, spectators, parents and alumni cheered on the players, but to no avail. In a losing effort, Juan Dominguez, junior Tim Filla and Mehta dazzled the crowd. An incredibly motivated player, according to Berquist, Dominguez had a major impact on the squad in terms of morale and ability at the No. 3 spot. His aggressive play has ignited the team this season. In the second match of the day, the Quakers handily defeated an athletic Navy squad, 9-0. "They were tough physically," Berquist said, "but we won because we were the more experienced team." Highlights of earlier competition include Filla and junior Jason Karp, playing at the nine and eight spots, respectively, leading the squad against nationally renowned Harvard on Saturday. Their two victories marked an unprecedented event for the young Penn team, who lost 7-2. Similarly, Penn co-captain Mehta's triumph against his Franklin and Marshall opponent last Wednesday inspired the team. Skilled sophomore Shamshuddin Mistry's fine play at the No. 1 position provides promise for the future. Battling top players around the country, "Shams" receives kudos from his captain, who claims "we never count him out." Though Berquist will graduate in May, he looks favorably ahead. "The transition this year was rough," he said. "The new coach got here one-and-a-half months into training. We lost a lot of matches because of inexperience, but the bulk of the team will be back next year." Perhaps then, they will finally reach the ever-evasive .500 record.