M. Squash routed to close out regular season

Harvard blew by Penn but lost the Ivy title to Princeton. Dartmouth then made the Quakers' trip a little worse. The Penn men's squash team finished its regular season on a disappointing note this weekend, dropping matches to Harvard and Dartmouth. Penn, an underdog for the majority of this season, was shut out by No. 2 Harvard on Saturday and No. 8 Dartmouth on Sunday. The Quakers knew going in just how difficult the weekend would be. "Harvard will be tough," Penn sophomore John Griffin said before the trip up north. "We can see how far we've come this season. I'm confident we'll play well." Penn did play well, but its effort was not enough to match up to the solid Crimson lineup. Griffin moved up one slot, to No. 3, as did the rest of the Quakers lineup below him. This was to compensate for the absence of sophomore Mukund Khaitan, who was nursing two injured ankles. Freshman Matt Stone moved back into the Quakers lineup to fill Khaitan's spot. Junior Ritesh Tilani continued to turn in strong performances at the bottom of the lineup, salvaging Penn's only game victory for the second time in three matches. He owned a 2-1 lead over Harvard's Rob Pike before dropping the last two games. Penn co-captain Peter Withstandley turned in a strong effort at the No. 1 slot, but was overmatched by three-time All-American Tim Wyant and ultimately fell in three quick games, 15-8, 15-3, 15-6. Harvard went on to lose a 5-4 thriller at home against the undefeated Princeton Tigers on Sunday, a match that decided the Ivy League title. Penn did not fare much better against Dartmouth on Sunday. The Big Green needed only the minimum three games for victory in seven of the nine matches against the Quakers. Penn junior Vickramjit Singh picked up a 15-9 victory in his third game against Dartmouth's James Judah, but was edged in four games. Penn's Tilani again showed that he can consistently hang in matches, battling for two 15-12 wins in a five-game loss to Colin Greenspan. At the No. 5 spot, Dartmouth's William Reisner took a tiebreak and two close games from Penn's Will Ruthrauff. Penn had hoped to match up better against the Big Green, which finished the season at 11-6. A win just wasn't in the cards for the Quakers, who dropped to 2-8, with a 1-5 mark against Ivy League opponents. "It was a long trip," Penn freshman Sam Miller said. "We had some trouble refocusing after Harvard. I'm not sure we played as well as we could have." Although closing out the regular season with two shutout losses is not all that encouraging, Penn's chances in the postseason look positive. They will be bracketed with the Nos. 9-16 squads in the Team Championships at Yale from February 25 to 27. Penn will host an exhibition against Haverford at the Ringe Courts tomorrow, starting at 4:30. "Haverford may give us some confidence," Miller said. "We have the talent to finish in the top of our bracket if we focus." Penn's fortunes may also be looking up for next season, as this season's struggles have built some character among the Quakers. "All of us realize that you need a strong foundation going into a season," Khaitan said. "This season we're building that foundation with a new coach and a positive attitude. I think it will all show next season." The real test for the Red and Blue lies in the next two weeks. Penn must find a way to prepare mentally and physically for the championships. The first task, however, will be recovering from a season of setbacks and close losses.