W. Squash gets bitten by Tigers, 6-3

The Penn women's squash team was unable keep title hopes alive against Princeton. The Ivy League champion was crowned yesterday. Unfortunately, the Penn women's squash team was not a part of the celebration. In a battle for first place, Penn (6-2, 4-2 Ivy League) fell to a tough Princeton team 6-3 at home. The Quakers, recovering from a devastating loss last weekend to Harvard, once again could not come up big under the pressure of championship play. "I thought we had a chance to win or lose," Princeton coach Gail Ramsey said. "I just hoped my team would focus and perform up to their potential. Penn is a great team." The losses to Harvard and Princeton (8-0, 6-0) drop the Quakers into a third-place finish in the Ivies for their third consecutive season. In the history of Penn women's squash, no Quakers' team has ever beaten either the Crimson or Tigers. Now, they will have to wait at least one more year. "Sure we lost and they are national champions, but we definitely had some bright spots," Penn coach Demer Holleran said. Penn junior captain Lindsay Moss provided much of the spark for the Quakers, winning 10-9 in the fifth and deciding game over rival Elizabeth Schenk. "After last weekend I had a confidence problem because I lost such a close match against Harvard in the fifth game," Moss said. "It's a really good feeling to finish this one off with a win." Moss did a good job of keeping the ball in the corners and keeping her opponent off balance with her overpowering forehand. Another high point was the tremendous play of No. 2 seed Katie Patrick. Patrick has been solid all year for the Quakers going undefeated in team competition. After posting an impressive 3-1 win against Harvard, Patrick handled the pressure once again knocking off Princeton's Elise O'Connell 3-0. Patrick's effective use of the entire court as well as a killer drop shot dominated O'Connell, who only scored 10 points in three games. In the two biggest rivalries of the year against the Crimson and the Tigers, seven of the nine Penn starters have come away with wins. "It's very significant that everyone is contributing," Holleran said. "It shows how competitive we are at every spot in the lineup." Penn has little time to regroup and get ready for this weekend's Howe Cup matches. The Howe Cup is a team competition for the best intercollegiate squash teams in the nation. The Quakers, seeded No. 3, will have a chance to avenge their losses against Princeton and Harvard. "Basically, we have to get really psyched up," Holleran said. "Everyone needs to have their big win on the same day this time." Penn junior captain Jessica DiMauro is looking forward to another shot at Princeton's No. 1 Julia Beaver. Beaver, a freshmen, has handed DiMauro her only two losses of the season, one yesterday and the other in the Constable Invitational championship game in January. "Jessica can certainly beat her," Holleran said. "She needs to play longer points and set the points up better. She still has the confidence." The four freshmen on Penn's roster are also a key to the Quakers' success. Helen Bamber was the only one to come away with a victory yesterday. Bamber fought hard for her 3-1 win and was thoroughly exhausted. "The more tired you are, the more elated you are at the end when you win," Bamber said. "I guess all those hours of practice paid off. I can't be too disappointed with a team loss when everyone gave it so much effort." With the Ivy title out of reach, Penn can now hope to act as a spoiler for its foes in the Ancient Eight in the Howe Cup.