M. Tennis searching for 'positive note'

The men's tennis team knows it can't take home the title every year. So when they host Ivy rivals Dartmouth and Harvard this weekend, the Quakers (9-9, 0-3 Ivy) will be competing for something more than a trophy.

"It's all about pride at this point," senior captain Jonathan Boym said. "We are realistic about where we stand in the league right now . Finishing with a winning record and on a positive note is not out of reach and everyone on the team knows that."

Penn's No. 2 singles player, Boym has been battling a shoulder injury all season but is healthy and ready to take on the Big Green today and Crimson tomorrow.

Dartmouth (4-12, 0-2) - "the weakest Ivy," according to freshman Phil Law - sports the worst overall record in the league, though its Ivy record is slightly better than Penn's.

However, Harvard (9-8, 2-1) poses a major challenge for the Quakers. The Crimson's star and captain, senior Chris Clayton, is ranked No. 77.

"I think the key against Harvard will be intensity," Boym said. "Intensity for the four hours the match will take place. . Intensity on all six singles courts and intensity on all three doubles courts and sustaining it for the whole match."

Law is hoping to have success against both Dartmouth and Harvard in order to salvage the season for the upperclassmen, who are disappointed in this season's results considering the team won the Ivy League Championship in 2006 and 2007.

"The team mentality is pretty down right now," Law said. "As a freshman, it's tough to see the older guys a little bit disheartened because they haven't had a start like this in a long time."

Penn will continue to experiment with its lineup, most notably in doubles, as it tries to find a replacement for junior Alex Vasin, who left the team recently for personal reasons.

"Unfortunately it was a big loss," Boym said. "Vasin has helped us out a lot in his time here. . But at the same time all of the guys are ready to play. We don't just have six kids in the lineup. We have nine kids that are always ready to compete and step up when their time is called."

One of those kids is junior Jeffrey Karsh, who replaced Vasin in the doubles lineup. The Beverly Hills, Calif., native and partner Jason Lin were impressive in a win at No. 3 doubles against Yale last weekend.

"We are really proud of the way he has stepped into the doubles lineup," Boym said. "He is playing well and is pretty confident."

For his part, Boym is just hoping to finish his final season with a few solid victories.

"It's my last four matches, and I would love to end on a high note," he said.

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