Results and notes from the Howe Cup

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Feb. 18 -- Even though the Quakers lost in the semi-final of the Howe Cup yesterday, there was still a lot of squash to be played today.

The team demonstrated a remarkable amount of mental toughness and killer instinct in bouncing back from an upset at the hands of Harvard. This afternoon, Penn beat Yale 6-3 to capture third-place, the best finish for the team in seven years.

Victory never seemed to be in jeopardy, as the Red and Blue jumped to a big lead on newfound energy, enthusiasm, and mental focus. By the time they started losing matches, the Quakers had already won the meet.

Other stuff:

No. 1 Princeton defeated Harvard 6-3 to win the National Championship. It was a tough but quick match. Despite the fact that the Crimson took three of the top four, the Tigers were too deep down the lineup and won spots five through nine.

For the National Championship, the atmosphere is pretty unimpressive. Some scoreboards were blank and awards are given out as matches are played (rather than in one big ceremony). It's odd to be watching the best young players in the country and have it feel like a lower-level high school sport. The whole thing needs some pizzaz.

There is a lot of gamesmanship in squash. If you think that basketball has a lot of flopping and acting, you should see how players in squash maneuver to get in each other's way and still get a let called.

To go with the above two points, it's also weird that there are no professional judges or referees. Instead, two people -- one player from each team -- work together on lets and other calls.

For all that weirdness, squash is very exciting to watch. And as others have pointed out , it's worth going to support one of Penn's teams that actually has a chance of winning something meaningful.