In away matches against Yale and Brown this weekend, the Penn men's squash team will look to live up to its billing as the best squad the program has produced in the last four years.
Against Yale -- ranked fourth by Squashtalk.com -- No. 11 Penn (0-1) will be the clear underdog.
"Yale will be a tough match," sophomore Billy Peelle said. "We are looking forward to testing ourselves in that match, but it will be hard to pull off the win. Yale is really good."
"You never know on a given day," Penn coach Craig Thorpe-Clarke said. "Yale is strong and deep. They will present a challenge."
While a victory against Yale -- a favorite for the Ivy championship -- would be surprising, the Quakers will be the overwhelming favorite against Brown. Penn has already beaten the Bears in a preseason Ivy League scrimmage.
The Quakers are confident in their chances.
"We looking forward to playing and beating Brown," Peelle said.
Thorpe-Clarke seems a bit more skeptical than his players, however. He recognizes the difficulties of winning on the road, especially in hostile venues like the Quakers will face in New Haven, Conn. and Providence, R.I.
"Getting a win on the road is always tough," Thorpe-Clarke said. "We are not taking anything for granted."
The injury to senior co-captain Elan Levy will also hamper the Quakers. Levy, who suffered a partial tear in his right quad, will not return until next semester.
"We are not going to take Brown lightly," Levy said. "We're coming along, and we have to beat the teams we are supposed to beat."
Many players believe that this year's team is underrated. The Quakers hope to prove this weekend that they deserve their high ranking.
"We think we should be ranked higher," Peelle said.
On the heels of a solid showing in a 7-2 loss against No. 5 Cornell, the Quakers are thirsty for their first victory of the season.
Even though Penn will likely have to wait until Brown to score their first victory, but it is still confident in its own ability.
"They work well together, and they are committed and focused," Thorpe-Clarke said.
