Wednesday's practice for the men's squash team was just like any other - relaxed, with plenty of jokes and racquets flying around.
For four seniors this week of practice at the Ringe Squash Courts will be their last. Coming up on the last hurrah of their squash careers at this weekend's College Squash Association Championship, the eldest Quakers want their departure to be memorable.
They'll get their chance when they head to Harvard to compete in the Championship. Penn enters the tournament as the No. 6 seed after finishing the year in a three-way tie for fourth in the Ivy League. Only Brown, which did not win a conference match and won just three of 12 overall, finished lower.
For Penn, winning it all may be nearly impossible. No. 1-seeded Trinity College has not lost a match since 1998.
The Quakers, while eyeing Trinity from a distance, have set a more realistic benchmark for this weekend.
"Our goal is a top-four finish," head coach Craig Thorpe-Clark said. "We think that even though we have the underdog seeding, if we play well, we will definitely have a chance to finish in the top four."
Their first task will be a revenge match against Yale, which narrowly defeated the Quakers in December.
"We can smell victory," Thorpe-Clark said. "We really want a chance at getting another shot at them."
And the four seniors - Pierce Cravens, Spencer Kurn, Ryan Rayfield and Lee Rosen - are looking to depart Penn at the apex of their careers.
"I'm just looking for the best finish of my four years here," co-captain Lee Rosen said. He has never finished higher than fifth in his career at Penn.
The Quakers are also coming off of what both Thorpe-Clark and Rosen called a "demoralizing" 6-3 loss against Harvard last weekend.
"We're getting the team refocused," Rosen said of his team's overall strategy after the disappointment on Saturday.
Ivy League champions Princeton will also be represented at the Championship.
But Thorpe-Clark doesn't care whom Penn plays.
"We've been underrated all year," he said. "Any team that plays us this weekend should be pretty concerned . We didn't get the wins against Harvard and Yale, but that was just by a whisker."
"A loss shouldn't make you hungrier," Rosen added. "You should always be hungry."
Thorpe-Clark maintained that his team was doing very well "physically and emotionally," but the Championships will be a challenge.
"It's a tough tournament, three tough matches three days in a row," he said. "We need to maintain our good form."
As for the graduating foursome, they're enjoying each other's skill on the court and camaraderie.
"It's been a pleasure playing with Spencer, Pierce and Ryan for these past four years," Rosen said with a nostalgic smile.
Does their coach have anything to say to his graduates?
Thorpe-Clarke smirked. "No, they'll start crying if I do that."
If Thorpe-Clarke and his team have their way, the only ones crying this weekend will be Yale, Harvard and Princeton.
