Crimson Racquetmen Sweep Match on Middies' Courts

Expecting its toughest match of the season to date. Harvard's varsity squash team came back form a long Christmas break with a strong 9-0 victory over Navy at Annapolis.

Yesterday's loss was the first time the Middies have ever failed to win a single game on their home courts. The Crimson's, sweep was a tremendous team accomplishment, considering that Navy only lost to Penn last month, 6-3, on the Quakers' courts.

Harvard coach Jack Barnaby praised the organization of the team for the Crimson victory. "We had only five days after the holidays to get ready," he said. "I have to give a lot of credit to our captain Ed Atwood, who primed everyone for the match, and to freshman coach Corey Wynn, who worked with some of the boys at the bottom of the ladder."

The Crimson had little trouble winning at every position. Four Harvard players, including Pete Briggs and Dave Fish at the top of the ladder, swept their matches in three games. Only Jaime Gonzalez, at number three, was forced to go to five games.

Harvard's line-up changed over the past, week through several challenge matches. Briggs beat Fish for the number-one spot. Gonzalez passed Atwood at three, sophomore Andy Weigand advanced to number seven, and Neil Vesters moved into the starting ladder at nine. The Crimson now has four sophomores in the varsity line-up.

Coach Barnaby felt that Navy's scores against Penn and Harvard might be misleading. "Navy has just returned from a tour of England and was not peaked for the match as they might have been against Penn," he said. "But then we weren't right on stride either so we still deserve a lot of credit."

"Also. Navy begins practicing in late August, so they may have peaked in December while Penn is still improving," he added. "At that time Elliot Berry had just finished kicking extra points for the Penn football team."

Yet, the Crimson victory was so decisive that the results should create quite a stir at Penn. "We've served notice on Penn that this is not a year of one outstanding team." Barnaby said. "We have established parity with them."

Penn still has the top two collegiate squash players in Palmer Page and Berry. But Navy beat Penn at three bottom positions, and the Crimson's sweep of the Middies gives Harvard a good chance to take five of the bottom seven matches against any opponent.