SPORTS BRIEF: Friday, January 22, 1999

M. Squash scores key win on road at F&M; The Diplomats (9-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Penn (3-2) could shake off the rust from a month-long layoff. The Quakers' last match was a 6-3 loss to Amherst at the Ringe Courts on December 12. "It was an uplifting win after a bad loss to Amherst," Penn's Andrew Hopkins said. "This was a win we really needed to move into the top eight." Impressive about the Red and Blue's win was that the match took place away from the team's friendly confines of Ringe Courts. The Quakers had to travel 1 1/2 hours to play in Lancaster. "We're not a very good travelling team," Hopkins said. "The fact that we won is a really good confidence booster for all of us." It was also a big win for Jim Masland's squad, considering other circumstances surrounding the afternoon. "Chuck [Braff] was really sick," Hopkins said. "And Shams [Mistry] was playing a really tough player. It was a really positive win for the team and a good start for the second half of the season." Penn's season continues next Wednesday when they face Princeton on Ringe Courts. Last season, the Quakers cruised to a 9-0 victory over the Tigers, but the story might be a little different this time around. "Princeton is a tough team," Hopkins said. "[They] will be a very difficult match." -- Jesse Spector