M. Squash tours Britain over break

For the Penn men's squash team (1-2, 1-2 Ivy) it was not a typical winter break. Instead of vacationing in warmer climates or spending lots of time with family and friends, coach Craig Thorpe-Clarke took his team to chilly London for a week of sightseeing and competition against some of England's top clubs. "The weather was freezing," senior co-captain Sam Miller said, noting that London saw its first snowfall in nearly a decade last month. "But good squash is where it's cold," he quickly added. "England was a great experience," freshman Colby Emerson said. It is "one of the leading countries in terms of good squash playing." Penn played against three clubs -- Surrey University, Eton College and the Roehampton Club, a London-based club where Thorpe-Clarke used to be the resident pro. For 11 years, Thorpe-Clarke also lived in Guildford, where Surrey University is located. All three matches were only a short train ride away from the team's hotel. Thorpe-Clarke described the match against Surrey as the most challenging "because they only had two undergraduates on the team." Miller called Surrey's coach Ian Robinson, "one of the best in the world." Emerson praised the team's hosts at the three matches, citing in particular "how receptive the people were to having us play in their clubs." In return for the hospitality, the team played some very good squash, gaining a respect from its British counterparts which may not have been there before the tour. "We had a lot of good wins against some tough players," Emerson said. "I don't think they could do anything but respect us." "They certainly did [respect the team] by the end of the match," Thorpe-Clarke added. The players also had plenty of time for sightseeing in London, taking in such sights as the Tower of London, the Imperial War Museum and Windsor Castle. The Penn players also got to tour Surrey University and met the Lord Mayor of Guildford. Tonight, the Quakers return to the Ringe Squash Courts to face Navy at 6 p.m. Thorpe-Clarke expects a tight match from the evenly matched squads. "We've always had very competitive matches with Navy," he said. "They've been consistently one of the higher-ranked teams around." Emerson singled out the physical strength of the Navy players. "We know that Navy always comes fit and in shape," Emerson said. "If we don't go out hard and if we're not on top of our game, they'll be there to capitalize on that." "Typically, Navy is a little less adept as far as skill goes," Miller said. "But as far as training and endurance... they are very good." Thorpe-Clarke cautioned that his players "need to play smarter and not get into a drawn-out battle." But despite their endurance, he is optimistic about his team's chances tonight against the Midshipmen. "I'm looking forward to a good result," said Thorpe-Clarke, who hopes to "send the Midshipmen on a long voyage home" to Annapolis.

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