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Ryan Harwood defeated Artie Peller of Navy at the No. 1 singles spot in three sets to help lift the Quakers over the Midshipmen in the first round of ECACs. [Stefan Miltchev/DP File Photo]

The Penn men's tennis team went into last weekend's ECAC Championships with a mission.

It was the Quakers' chance to show the Eastern region just how much they had improved this year.

The fifth-seeded Red and Blue met the challenge by finishing between fifth and seventh place after going 2-1 in the tournament. According to Penn senior Kevin Strouse, had a fourth team been played, the Quakers would have known their exact finish.

Penn started strong, defeating Navy, 6-1, in the first round of competition.

While the Midshipmen put up a valiant effort, extending the Quakers to a third set in five matches, the Red and Blue maintained their composure and held on for the win.

"The guys showed some toughness out there and I was impressed with that," Penn coach Mark Riley said.

Penn next faced Ivy League powerhouse Yale. Against the Elis, the Quakers again found themselves locked in a tight contest.

The momentum shifted in Yale's favor early, as the Elis' Duston West and Ryan Murphey edged Penn freshmen Anthony Pu and Craig Rubin, 8-6, to capture the doubles point.

Penn seniors Fanda Stejskal and Brian Barki each came up with singles wins for the Red and Blue, but in the end, Yale prevailed, 5-2.

"It could have gone either way," Rubin said. "We definitely knew we had opportunities to beat them."

In the consolation round on Sunday, the Quakers were able to brush off the loss and defeat two-time Ivy League champion Columbia by a score of 4-3.

Strong play from the bottom half of the Quakers' lineup was key in the victory, since Stejskal was forced to sit out with an injury.

Picking up straight-set wins for the Quakers were freshmen David Lynn, Rubin, and Todd Lecher and junior Andy Kolker.

"We haven't beaten them in I don't know how long, at least as long as I've been here," junior co-captain Ryan Harwood said. "But we went in ready to roll. It was a big win for team morale."

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