There is no conference championship tournament in the Ivy League, but this weekend's ECAC Men's Tennis Championships - in which fourth-seeded Penn will take on fifth-seeded Cornell in the first round - sure seems like one.
The 2009 version of the annual tournament, which will take place at Harvard's Murr Center today through Sunday, has an Ivy League flavor, with the entire Ancient Eight among the 10 teams invited.
While the championships traditionally take place in the fall, this year's contest falls in the cold winter -- closer to the heat of the season.
"In the fall, it's still fairly early in the season," Penn coach Nik DeVore said. "But now . we've all had full fall seasons [and] we've had offseason conditioning, so I think the teams are going to be more seasoned and more ready."
DeVore - a relative newcomer to the ECAC in his second season as Penn's coach - has heard talk among some of the Ivy League's more experienced coaches of permanently rescheduling the tournament.
The Quakers' head man sees the new schedule as an opening that will benefit his team in the long run.
"It's a great opportunity. to gauge where we are against the Ivy League in the earlier point in the [spring] season," he explained.
The Red and Blue (2-2) enter the weekend having dropped both matches of a two-game road trip that pitted them against Florida Atlantic and No. 23 Miami. Despite skipping the trip to rest his ailing shoulder, senior Jonathan Boym had a positive spin on last weekend's matches.
"I think even though we lost to those two teams, it's going to make us stronger as a team," the captain said. "It's going to provide a little extra motivation to get out there and . have a sense of urgency."
Boym has been the constant in Penn's recent success at the ECAC Championships, which includes tournament victories in 2005 and 2006. With experience under his belt, he recognizes that his team is in a different position this time around.
"In the previous years . we were the favorites," the Marlboro, N.J., native said. "I think [the role of underdog] makes us even more dangerous."
After sitting out last weekend with a shoulder injury - "so he'd be really strong and ready for this weekend," according to DeVore - Boym has been extra focused at practices.
Having prepared for this tournament three times before, Boym easily finds reason to be confident in his team.
"Our work ethic is the best I've ever seen it at Penn," he said. "You put the time in on the court and it's going to pay off."
The veteran comes into this year's tournament with just one goal.
"We won this tournament twice . and we're looking to win three times out of four," Boym assured. "That's pretty much it."
