Again, Middies no match for streaking Quakers

By Zach Klitzman

Staff Writer

klitzman@sas.upenn.edu

Four matches. Four victories.

The 9-0 outcome of last night's contest against No. 10 Navy (10-3) was no different than the way the No. 4 Penn men's squash team dominated its previous opponents.

The Quakers (4-0, 3-0 Ivy) earned their third shutout of the year and fourth top-15 victory.

However, according to coach Craig Thorpe-Clark, the result did not necessarily reflect the competitiveness of the match.

"Navy always has been competitive, they always come well-prepared, and we know we're going to get into competitive games" with the Midshipmen, he said.

Senior co-captain Gilly Lane agreed.

"Navy's a hard-competing team," he said. "But at the same time, we've worked hard, and this was just another good result."

Thorpe-Clark viewed the team's recent training in Europe as a way for the team to connect before its first match of the semester.

"The trip abroad is great from a team-bonding and unity standpoint," he said. "It's a good thing, because now we're very cohesive."

Specifically, in the Navy match, Thorpe-Clark was impressed with the team's concentration, especially from seniors like Lane.

"The seniors really stepped up to the plate tonight," he said. "Unlike Navy, which [had] already played 12 games, we don't get to compete as often, so when we do we really have to focus."

Penn won eight matches with scores of 3-0, including the top three slots. Lane's match, the top-seeded game, started with two back-to-back points that ended with the ball going out of the court, a rare event.

The win was the Quakers' fourth shutout in as many years against the Navy team, in a matchup that has become something of a rivalry.

"Each year we have a dual meet with Navy," Thorpe-Clark said. "We have a long-standing tradition with Navy, and those traditions are good. We're two of the closest teams, we're both ranked in the top 10, so it's a big match."

In addition to beating a rival, the win also gets the team back into its mid-semester routine.

"Having exams and winter break in the middle of the season, from a coach's perspective, is not ideal," Thorpe-Clark said. "So [after this win] we have to continue to rebuild, refocus, so the pressure is on."

Fortunately, the early success has helped the players concentrate.

"The early win over Yale really psyched us up," since it was a huge upset, senior Graham Bassett said.

With Harvard, Princeton, and Trinity on the docket, the Quakers need a win over one of the Ivies to stay in contention for the league, Bassett said.

Fueling this excitement is Penn's current place in the Ivy standings - tied for first. The Quakers will have to knock off Harvard on Feb. 10 to gain sole possession of the top of the league.

After yesterday, that goal seems closer than ever.

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