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Roberto Kriete returned last night to play No. 2 for the men's squash team after spending a semester abroad. (Theodore Schweitz/The Daily Pennsylvanian)

The Penn men's squash team was sailing smoothly after a win against Vassar last Saturday. Last night, however, the Quakers were sunk at home by Navy. The Midshipmen, who entered the match with a strong 7-3 record, dispatched the Quakers, 6-3. Navy showed its experience, having all but one of its wins come from juniors and seniors. Penn, on the other hand, continued to rely on the tough play of its top player, senior co-captain Peter Withstandley, and its rapidly emerging freshman class. Withstandley recorded his third win of the season at the top spot, a 3-0 pounding of Navy senior Andrew Crawford. Withstandley used his superior shot-making ability to keep Crawford, off balance and on the run. "I felt very comfortable," Withstandley said. "Navy players are strong athletes, but not all of them have the best squash shot." The match score was 4-3 in favor of the Midshipmen when Penn's last two players, John Griffin and Matt Juraska, took the stage, hoping to rally the Quakers to victory. Their efforts, however, were thwarted by the boys from Annapolis, Md. Griffin fought a close match, but fell in three games to Navy senior Brian Ko, while Juraska had no better luck, losing to sophomore David Haile by a 3-1 margin. Continuing to impress, however, was the Quakers' strong freshman class. Jason Lam and Daniel Rottenberg produced Penn's two other victories. "I came back late. My opponent was technically sound like most Navy players are," Lam said after his win. "The freshmen are playing as hard as anyone right now, and we're doing our best to help the team. Rottenberg credits Penn coach Craig Thorpe-Clark for the strong freshmen showing this season. "My opponent was extremely tough and fit, but thanks to Craig's conditioning program, I was in shape and able to keep up," Rottenberg remarked. The team was playing for its second straight match without sophomore Sam Miller, who was ineligible because of a tournament he participated in over the break. He will return to the lineup this weekend. Replacing Miller in the lineup was junior Roberto Kriete, who returned to the Quakers after studying abroad. "Roberto is a welcome addition to the lineup," Thorpe-Clark said. "He just met his eligibility requirements, so I'm thrilled to have him back in the lineup." Kriete, who stepped in at the No. 2 spot, lost in four games to Navy's Andy McCann. The Red and Blue will have a chance to rebound this weekend against Amherst and Rochester. "We're getting great team spirit and unity right now," Thorpe-Clark said. "The freshmen have been terrific in crunch situations and we should be ready to play well this weekend." The Quakers' weekend matches will begin at noon this Saturday at the Ringe Courts.

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