M. Squash downs F & M, Haverford

The Penn men's squash team has turned weekend doubleheaders into a form of art this season. Going into this weekend, the Quakers were undefeated in their pair of two-bill contests, a mark that contributed to Penn's stellar 5-1 season record against non-Ivy opponents. On Sunday, The Red and Blue (8-4, 1-3 Ivy) again upped their non-league record with their third doubleheader sweep of the year. Penn topped host Franklin & Marshall, 7-2, after dominating Haverford in a shutout earlier that afternoon. With these victories, the Quakers were awarded the title of Pennsylvania State Men's Squash Champions, bestowed upon the winner of the weekend's inaugural competition. "I've tried to make a balanced schedule for the team," Penn coach Craig Thorpe-Clark said. "This way the players can use the schedule to their full advantage to get ready for the postseason." Both Penn and Franklin & Marshall shut out the weaker Fords (2-11) this weekend. The No. 13 ranked Diplomats (7-5) posed more of a threat to the Quakers, but a solid effort from Penn's veterans and freshmen ultimately led the Quakers to victory. Penn's senior co-captains, Peter Withstandley and Will Ruthrauff, notched victories against both teams. Withstandley improved his record to a team-best 9-3 on the season. "Its always tough to play at F & M because they have a really loud and supportive crowd," Ruthrauff said. "But we didn't need our home courts or our home crowd. We walked into their house and beat them on their terms. It was a good day for Penn squash." Joining Withstandley and Ruthrauff with two victories apiece were sophomore Elan Levy and junior Matt Juraska. "I wanted to be aggressive from the beginning against (Diplomat sophomore) Will Dore," Levy said. "We were up 3-1 after the first round, so I knew that a victory would help clinch a win for the team. It was some of the best squash that I've played all season." The freshman powerhouse trio of Jason Lam, Dan Rottenberg and Matt Vergare knocked off their opponents from Franklin & Marshall, but were not in the lineup in the earlier match against Haverford. "Craig told us that this would be our last chance to prove that we're a top-10 team," Lam said, who was recovering from the flu when he played his match. "I think we did just that, so it was a big confidence booster." Several team members sat out against the weak Haverford lineup. Thorpe-Clark found playing time in the match for Matt Stone, Vinil Shah, Ed Hargroves and Paul Laskow, who each recorded shutouts for the Quakers. Penn's shaken-up lineup, though, did not miss a beat against Haverford, as the Quakers cruised to a 27-0 rout. "I don't think that I broke a sweat against Haverford," Levy said. The Quakers, currently ranked fifth in the Ivy League and eleventh in the country, have one more weekend of competition left in the season before the national team and individual championships begin. This weekend, the Red and Blue will have a chance to move up in the rankings when they hosts Ancient Eight powerhouses Harvard on Saturday and Dartmouth on Sunday.

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