The final match of the regular season for the Penn women's squash team went almost the same way that its first one did -- except Penn was on the opposite end of the score.
Playing their fourth match out of five against the top four teams in the nation, the Quakers fell, 9-0, to the two-time defending national champion Trinity Bantams. The match was a far cry from the 9-0 thrashing Penn handed Franklin and Marshall to start the season, in which Penn only lost one game out of 28.
In her return to the school she transferred from before this season, Penn sophomore Rhea Bhandare lost, 3-0.
Her teammates did not fare any better.
Junior Rohini Gupta and sophomores Lorin Riley and Colleen Gurda were the only Quakers to win a game in their respective matches, and were cited by coach Jim Martel for their strong play.
Facing a nonconference match against a far superior opponent that had virtually no impact on its Howe Cup seeding, Penn looked at Sunday's match as a perfect tune up for the season-ending tournament.
"We got a really good exhibition-type match to get ready for the Howe Cup," Martel said.
"We got a good idea of what we have to work on for next week," junior captain Linda McNair added.
The fifth-ranked Quakers (8-4, 3-3 Ivy) will be seeded fifth in the Howe Cup, and will likely be pitted against No. 4 Harvard (5-3, 4-2). The Crimson topped Penn, 7-2, earlier this season in Boston.
No. 2 Trinity (7-1) will be seeded second at the Howe Cup, after a 5-4 loss at Yale in January ended its run at 30 straight wins and two consecutive Barhite Cups, which are awarded to the regular season dual match champion.
Martel said that this week's practice will be geared toward preparing to face the Crimson.
"We really feel that we're really close to Harvard," Martel said, adding that the Howe Cup's neutral ground will give the Quakers even more of an edge. The tournament will be held in New Haven, Conn., this weekend.
After a successful regular season in which the Quakers won their first seven matches before falling to each of the top four teams in the nation, it all comes down to next weekend for the Red and Blue.
Martel and McNair both believe that the Quakers have plenty to work on, but with the right amount of effort they feel that Penn can make a run at the Howe Cup.
McNair summed up the rest of the season well for the Quakers.
"We have to work hard ... we have one week left."
