Can You Say Dynasty?

The only way to describe it is pandemonium--sheer pandemonium.

That's exactly how to explain the scene during the men's and women's squash matches at Hemenway Gymnasium yesterday.

Rowdy, shirtless fans were screaming, nervous parents sat on the edge of their seats, squash cognoscenti discussed particular shots with members of the teams and one very intense coach Bill Doyle roamed the sidelines.

For those isolated from the Harvard squash world, both the men's and women's squash teams defeated Yale and completed unblemished dual-meet regular seasons last night. In the process, both squash squads also captured the Ivy League title.

Last weekend, the women's team locked up the unofficial national championship, the Howe Cup, for the third straight year. The men should have no problem doing the same--for the fifth straight time--this weekend.

Both teams have unbelievable consecutive dual-meet winning streaks. The women's team has won 35 straight dual meets, while the men have gone for more than five seasons (58 matches) without a mark in the loss column.

In short, Harvard athletics has a bona-fide dynasty on its hands when it comes to the men and women's squash teams. And everyone--even those dreaded Yalies--are resigned to that fact.

The amazing thing about the match, however, was the fact that the Harvard teams were screaming and yelling the loudest of anybody. Women's co-captain Libby Eynon (who has never lost a match in her Harvard career) and sophomore Galt Nieder-hoffer were particularly boisterous.

Just listen to one exchange.

Me: Were you happy with the team's performance?

Eynon: We opened up a can of whoop ass tonight.

Me: [To Eynon] How does it feel to finish your Harvard career undefeated?

Niederhoffer: We call her "The LiBeast."

Eynon later explained that she would get a "free" dinner if I printed her "whoop" comment. Wouldn't want to prevent that, Libby.

The men's team was also fooling around in a rather jocular manner. The Elis, who seemed to walk into the match expecting to lose, even got in on the act. Here's one interaction between two Elis--sophomore Pepper Riley and junior David Hand--and Harvard freshman Jeff Blumberg.

Me: Is this what you expected?

Hand: I think [freshman] Jeff Blumberg is the weak link of the team.

Blumberg looks unhappy about the prospects of such a comment appearing in a newspaper.

Blumberg: We treat all of our opponents with respect...

Me: [To Riley and Hand] Do you have any chance of winning a national championship this weekend?

Riley: No, but anything's better than Princeton winning the championship.

Later, I ran into Blumberg and Harvard sophomore Andy Walter.

Me: [To Walter] How does it feel to win the Ivy League championship?

Blumberg: Put my quote in. But don't put in what David Hand said about me.

Walter: [To Blumberg] What did he say?

Blumberg reluctantly reveals what Hand had said.

Walter: How does a Yale player know our team that well?

You just don't find that kind of interaction after a Harvard-Yale football game. At least, I didn't.

It was just pandemonium.