Tigers blank M. Squash

The Quakers' disappointing regular season came to an end. To put it simply, the Quakers were squashed. Tuesday afternoon, the Penn men's squash team traveled to the courts of Princeton to take on the Tigers and came out flat -- unable to pull off the upset, falling 9-0. The Tigers, a more experienced and talented team, are one of the Red and Blue's toughest competitors in the Ivy League. Earlier in the season, the Tigers were narrowly defeated by national power Harvard, 5-4. There were a few bright spots in the whitewash, however. Penn coach Jim Masland commended the play of co-captain Rajiv Mehta and Nilay Mehta. Both players fought hard, but eventually succumbed to their opponents. This is Masland's first year. "I am settling in quite well, I think I have developed a rapport with the players, and I am looking to build on that. The team is developing and maturing, and I believe that soon success will come," said Masland, when asked about his thoughts thus far. He refrained from comment about next year, saying, "It's still too early to tell anything yet." The Quakers are young and inexperienced, but some players, frustrated with their sub-.500 record, blame the team's lack of motivation more than anything else. Many Quakers are skillful, but haven't figured out how to take their game to the next level. Scheduling problems have also weighed heavily against the Quakers team this year. Some early-season confusion resulted in a majority of the matches having to be played on opponents' courts. The season is not yet over. The Quakers still have the post-season tournament to play. They just missed qualifying for the first division by one team, but will be the top seed in the second division. This predicament could prove to be advantageous. Stringing together multiple wins and ending the season on a high note, the team might come out more aggressive at the beginning of next season.