No. 5 Men's Squash Hosts Penn, Princeton in Final Home Matches of Season

Pictured: Harvard's three seniors, (L to R) Franklin Cohen, Colin West and Alex Lavoie.
Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot Photography.

The Particulars:
No. 5 Harvard hosts No. 8 Penn, Feb. 6, and No. 4 Princeton, Feb. 7, at the Barnaby Courts for crucial Ivy League matches. The Crimson enters the weekend with a 4-2 record and a 3-0 mark in the conference. The Quakers are 5-5 overall and 1-3 in the Ivy League heading into the match. Princeton sports a 7-2 overall record and is 3-1 against Ancient Eight opponents. Harvard is tied with Yale (4-0 Ivy League for first place in the Ancient Eight.

Last Time Out:
The Crimson was unable to snap No. 1 Trinity’s 212-match winning streak, falling 9-0 Jan. 30. Richard Hill, J. Reed Endresen, Alexander Ma  and Jason Michas were each able to win a game in their matches against the Bantams.

About Harvard:
The Crimson owns a 4-2 record coming into the weekend and is 3-0 against Ancient Eight opponents. Colin West paces the squad with a 5-1 record at the top spot. Endresen, Hill, Mas and Michas each boast records of 4-2.

About Penn:
The Quakers enter the weekend with a 5-5 record and a 1-3 mark in the Ivy League. Penn’s lone win in the conference was a 6-3 decision over Brown. Porter Drake leads the team with six wins while Mark Froot, James Clark and Thomas McGuinness each have five to their credit.

About Princeton:
The Tigers, the reigning Ivy League champions, sport a 7-2 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the conference. Todd Harrity and David Letourneau each sport unblemished records for the Tigers. Princeton’s only losses on the season have been to Rochester and Yale, each by the score of 5-4.

Last Year’s Meeting:
The Crimson and the Quakers met Feb. 7, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pa. Harvard prevailed with a 5-4 win. The Crimson was down 4-2 heading into the final round of matches. Colin West and Eliot Buchanan each earned victories to even the score at 4-4. Franklin Cohen clinched the win for Harvard with a 3-1 victory at the No. 7 slot.

Down the Stretch:
Entering the final two weekends of the regular season, Harvard owns a 3-0 record in the Ivy League. The Crimson is tied with Princeton and Yale atop the standings. Harvard hosts Penn, Feb. 6, and Princeton, Feb. 7, and closes out the season at Yale, Feb. 13.

Winning Ways:
Harvard has dominated Penn on the squash courts, winning the past 30 meetings between the two schools. The Crimson’s last loss to the Quakers came on Feb. 10, 1979, a 6-3 decision. Harvard holds a 62-2 edge in the series with Penn.

League Supreme:
Harvard and Princeton have won 52 combined Ivy League championships. The Crimson and the Tigers have won 34 of the past 35 Ivy League titles. The teams shared the crown in 1988-89. 

It's Been a Great Run:
Today’s match marks the final time that Harvard’s three seniors will compete at the Barnaby Courts for the Crimson. The team will recognize seniors Frank Cohen, Alex Lavoie and Colin West for their hard work and dedication. The trio has recorded 57 combined career individual  victories and helped the Crimson win 26 matches over the past four seasons.

Up Next:
Harvard travels to New Haven, Conn. to take on Ivy League foe Yale in the final match of the regular season, Feb. 13.