After split, M. Squash hosts Princeton

The Quakers beat Amherst but fell to Williams Saturday. Today, the Tigers visit Penn. It just doesn't get any easier for the Penn men's squash team. They (2-5, 1-2 Ivy) took a step in the right direction on Saturday with a 6-3 victory over Amherst, but reverted to their struggling form with a 9-0 defeat to Williams at Amherst's Pratt Cage. In Penn's loss to the Ephs, senior co-captain Andrew Hopkins was the only member of the Quakers to win a game. The Brookline, Mass., native had earlier won his match against Amherst. Penn's top three players all fell against the Jeffs, but after that, the Quakers did turn in a strong performance. Sam Miller continued his impressive freshman campaign as he won 3-0 at the No. 5 spot. Fellow Penn newcomer Matt Stone won 3-2 in the No. 9 position against Amherst to pick up his first-ever collegiate victory. A pair of Philadelphians, sophomore John Griffin and junior Will Ruthrauff, were also triumphant for the Quakers. Penn junior Ritesh Tilani, who hails from the more distant United Arab Emirates, also garnered a 3-0 victory at Amherst. "I was definitely happy," Ruthrauff said. "I didn't know what to expect with either team, and it was the first time we've beaten Amherst since I've been at Penn. So I was happy about that. Beating Amherst made it a little easier to swallow the loss [to Williams]." Things did not go nearly as well for Penn against the Ephs as with the Jeffs, and the Quakers may expect to find similar difficulty today at the Ringe Courts. The Quakers will host Princeton, hoping to avenge last year's 9-0 whitewashing at Old Nassau. The undefeated Tigers (4-0, 2-0) are downright tough. On Sunday, they showed no signs of rust from their seven-week layoff, demolishing both Amherst and Williams. "We know they're good and they always have been," Ruthrauff said. "We're looking at it as an opportunity to go get some experience against some good players and making it as difficult for them as we can." The Tigers do have some good players and, since the last time Penn faced its bitter rival, Princeton may have become even more powerful. Freshman David Yik has joined his brother Peter Yik, the defending individual national champion for the Tigers. The elder Yik, a senior, will likely be out for blood today, having lost his first-ever collegiate dual match on Sunday against Amherst. David, however, is on a roll, having won both of his matches. Penn, therefore, will be hard-pressed to find an antidote for the Tigers' dynamic duo of Canadians. Princeton's Americans will also be tough for the Quakers to deal with. Peter Kelly, from Brooklyn, N.Y., was last season's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and plays at No. 4 this year for the Tigers. "We don't have any unrealistic expectations," Ruthrauff said. "Not that we're expecting to lose, but we're trying to be as level-headed as possible."