M. Squash | Penn battles back to triumph over F

Mark Froot has battled back pain since he was 14 years old.

So after aggravating his back earlier this week, the junior anticipated a struggle entering last night's match against Franklin & Marshall.

"You kind of know when you're about to go through a peak or a valley," he said. "I feel like I knew I was going into a valley so I readied myself for it."

Despite Froot's ailing back, the No. 7 Quakers prevailed, 7-2, over No. 16 F&M;, relying on resounding three-set wins from the No. 5-9 spots.

"Everyone on this entire team ... you can count on them for a win when you really need one," Froot said.

Penn coach Craig Thorpe-Clark praised the bottom five - sophomores William Browne and Porter Drake and seniors Parker Justi, Bobby Dickey and Joey Raho - for giving the team "quite a lot of momentum" at the start of the match.

Froot did all he could against Diplomats No. 2 Gabriel de Melo but was forced to retire after dropping the first two games of his match.

With Froot down, freshman No. 1 Thomas Mattsson came through with a hard-fought five-set win over F&M;'s Nadav Tannen.

"It was a tough match for me because [Tannen] was playing pretty physical and I had trouble with it," Mattsson said. "The [team's] match was already in hand so [that] was nice."

With the win, the Quakers (6-2) extended their winning streak to four matches, while halting the previously hot Diplomats' streak at eight contests.

Thorpe-Clark credited the Diplomats (9-3) for making his squad fight for the victory.

"Normally, I would expect for us to win and be stronger at the top of the lineup, but they're an improving team and their players are pretty experienced."

Every starter must be up to the task when Penn faces off with national powerhouse Trinity - winners of the last nine national championships - on Saturday in Hartford, Conn.

Froot expects to be ready when the Quakers take on the Bantams, and Thorpe-Clark has simple goals for his team over the next few days.

"[We'll] work hard, get some rest and prepare ourselves for a big match on the weekend."

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