Men's Squash Gears Up for Princeton; Lack of Depth Poses Main Problem

The Harvard men's squash team hits the heart of its season this month, following first-term shutouts of Trinity and Army.

With those two wins under their belts, the racquetmen were slated to play the Williams Purple Cows yesterday, but with classes at Williams starting as well, the Purple Cows cancelled out.

So, after a Friday match against Navy which Harvard Coach Dave Fish expects "won't provide very strong competition," the Crimson will face its most threatening opponent, the Princeton Tigers. Princeton's cold fast courts will add to its home advantage as Harvard will be coming off matches on Navy's hot, slow courts.

Bad Memories

The Crimson hasn't beaten the Tigers in eight years. Last year, Harvard finished 9-1, with Princeton delivering the only loss in a contest that came down to the final match. After downing Harvard 5-4, in Hemenway Gym, Princeton bested the racquetmen, 3-2, in the semifinals of the U.S. team championship.

In every Harvard squash player's mind, the Princeton game determines which team is number one in the country, since there are few teams that can challenge either squad.

"This weekend will pretty much tell the story of whether or not we'll win and do as well as we would like." Captain John Dinnean said. "In my four years this is the closest knit group and the hardest working squad we've had, so I think we can do it."

Harvard's only shortcoming is lack of depth, with the higher seeds turning in most of the wins, a problem which led to last year's only regular season loss.

"We've been working like hell on our lower ranks." Fish said in yesterday's practice, "concentrating a lot more energy on their skills. Deep down I think we all want to win three titles--the Ivies, the National Amatcur team championships and Intercollegiate team championships. I think we all are more prepared from our top players to our lowest ranks, and I think we can do it," he added.

Return Engagement

The Crimson's top two players, sophomore David Boyum and freshman Kenton Jernigan, both feel a lot of the team's success this weekend--and therefore the squad's goals--may depend on the return of Brad Desaulniers, who took a year off from Harvard, but not from squash. Desaulniers, whose brother Mike went undefeated in four years of Harvard squash, has been playing against and beating some of the top pros on the squash circuit as an amateur.

"I think he would be a very nice addition," commented Boyum, who played as a freshman in the number one spot desaulniers left vacant. "It won't necessarily determine whether we beat Princeton or not, but it certainly can't hurt."

THE NOTEBOOK: The raquetmen became such a close knit group during their 10-day journey through England in mid-November Dinnean said. "It was a different kind of squash, playing with a soft ball and larger courts. But playing against teams that were better than us, and six matches in 10 days, really sharpened our game."

Penn State 107, Harvard 42

Blodgett Pool

200 Medley Relay--1. Penn State (Riedel, Mokse, Maximo, Whitner), 1:52, 13:2. Harvard (Calvert, Wilson, Greis, Black), 1:54.74 (Harvard record) 1000 Freestyle--1 Floyd (H), 10:29. 77:2. Post (P), 10:29. 82:3. Gildan (H), 10:39.83. 100 Individual Medley--1. Quinn (P), 1:01. 33:2. Smith (H). 1:02. 24: 3. Welsh (P), 1:02.95 200 Freestyle--1. Tomokins (P), 1:54.57:2. Calvert(H), 1:56.68:Floyd(H) 1:57.65. 100 Backstroke--1, Riedel(P), 1:01.34:2 Sullivan (P), 1:03.59:3 Rentoumis (H), 1:04,04, 100 Breaststroke--1. Leeshock (P), 1:08. 92:2. Quinn(P). 1:09.26:3. Wilson(H). 1:12.66. 200 Buterfly--1 Bizal (P) 2:10.03:2. Johnson (P)2:10.82:3. Zimic(H)2:27,53. 50 Freestyle--1. Tompkins(P).24:42,2, Smith (H), 25,23: Maximo (P),25.49. One-Meter Diving--1. Jones (P), 250,75:2 Goldberg (H), 231.70:3, Clark (P), 230:30. 100Freestyle--1. Tompkins (P) 52.93:2. Biazal (P), 54.82:3. Black (H). 56.03. 200 Bresststroke--1. Beauchamp (P), 2:30.83:2. Lines (P), 2:32.12:3. Rival(H), 2:35.15. 500 Freestyle--1 Floyd (H) 5:12.07:2. Mayer (P) 5:14.46:3. Fucigina (P). 5:17.81 100 Butterfly--1 Maximo (P).59.40:2 Walsh (P), 59.67:3. Wilson (H) 1:00.17. Three-Meter Diving--1. Tones (P)269.45:2. Clark (P). 248.70:3. Goldberg (H), 248.35. 200 Individual Medlay--1. Molese (P), 2:16.28:2. Rival (H). 2:17.27:3 Valentino (P), 2:17.33 200 Freestyle Relay--1 Harvard (Girrillo, Black, Calvert, Smith), 1:42.11: Penn State (Siegel, Leeshock, Post. Johnson). 1:44.54.