Goodbye to Norway, hello to Navy

By Brian Finkel

Staff Writer

finkel@wharton.upenn.edu

Back from its lengthy Scandinavian voyage, the men's squash team is now looking to dominate in a region not known for its tall, blond inhabitants.

After a winter break tour that included stops in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, the No. 4 Quakers will take the courts against their first challengers of the new semester, the No. 10 Navy Midshipmen, in their match this evening.

The team is excited to be back on campus, but several players expressed their nostalgia for a trip that will not soon be forgotten. They also emphasized the positive impact it will have on team chemistry and performance.

"It was a blast," senior captain Ben Ende said. "It was a total success. The squash was as strong as we expected - which was quite strong. We got a lot of good matches, encountered a lot of new, European styles which we weren't used to, and we got to play some guys in their thirties and forties."

Ende's co-captain, senior standout Gilly Lane, also came away from the trip with positive feelings.

"We get this one chance, every four years, to go away and experience something new and different," he said. "We got to continue working hard and practicing. I think the younger guys got to know a lot about who the older guys were. I think it worked out really well."

The team will try to put those experiences into action against Navy (10-2) tonight.

The Midshipmen are fresh off of wins against No. 11 Amherst, No. 14 Bowdoin, and No. 16 Denison.

"Navy is always a pretty formidable team," coach Craig Thorpe-Clark said. "They're a lot stronger than they have been in the past couple years."

In order to top Navy, Penn will need its current crop of freshmen to continue producing. The rising group, headed by Mark Froot and Christopher Thompson, has come up big this season, especially in the team's triumph over perennial Ivy League powerhouse Yale.

"The freshmen have gone beyond our expectations," Ende said. "We're all really excited for the future, and we're all really pleased with how they're performing now."

Froot, who has been pleased with his personal progress this season, attributes much of his success to the veterans who have taken him under their wings.

"This year's been pretty strong so far," said Froot. "The team's been awesome. Everyone's been really supportive. . The captains, Gilly and Ben, have really helped me out with telling me the 'dos and don'ts' on campus."

For the undefeated Red and Blue, who currently sit atop the Ancient Eight standings, a win in today's game at Navy is essential to keep the momentum going. But it won't be easy.

"We have to play well, we have to play smart, and we have to play hard tomorrow for us to get a win," Thorpe-Clark said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.