Crimson Racquetmen Down Army, 6-3; Bell, Somers Lead Harvard Attack

The Harvard men's squash team breezed to its second straight victory this weekend with a surprisingly easy win over the well-seasoned Cadets of Army Saturday at West Point.

After sinking Navy in its season opener last Thursday, the Crimson traveled to West Point expecting a tight match with the veteran Cadet squad. Harvard had shut out the Army nine last season, but graduation thinned the Crimson's ranks, leaving the teams evenly matched in the experience column.

But Crimson mentor Dave Fish's emphasis on the fundamentals of shot-making and court strategy paid quick dividends, with the racquetmen jumping to an early 4-1 lead.

Crimson number one man George Bell started the Harvard charge by easily defeating Army's Scott Snook in four games. Number five man Geordie Lemmon, seventh-ranked Clark Bain and nine man John Dinneen all won handily to make it 4-0.

The Crimson suffered its first loss at number three, where Rich Robie fell to Cadet Al Nelwan in four games.

The Crimson did not fare as well in the even-numbered matches. At number two, John Stubbs lost to Army captain Bob Davis, who combined clutch three-wall nick shots with solid mid-court positioning to out-gun Stubbs, 3-1.

"I wasn't playing badly," Stubbs said after the match, "but he dominated midcourt and made some great shots when he needed them."

Number four man Joe Somers followed Stubbs and clinched the Harvard team victory with a four-game win over first classman (senior) Will Harrison. "I mixed my drop shots well and took advantage of Harrison's weak front court play," Somers said.

Number six man Bob Blake rounded out the Crimson scoring with a three-game sweep of plebe Mark Milet, while number eight Chas Duffy fell to veteran Lou Yuengert in three straight.

The win ups the Crimson record to 2-0, but the tough part of the season isn't until February, when the racquetmen meet Ivy League favorites Princeton and Penn. "We're the underdogs this year, but we've played well so far," Stubbs noted.