Racquetwomen Thwart Cardinals, 5-2

Minus two of their top players, the Harvard women's squash team invaded Middletown, Conn., Saturday and emerged with a tough 5-2 win over Wesleyan.

With Lisa Harrison and Courtney Stimpson competing in the Princeton Invitational tournament, Jackie Corrigan moved into the number one slot to face Allison Myers, Wesleyan's finest. Myers won the first two games by the smallest of margins, 15-13, 16-15.

But Corrigan fought back to take the next two games, 15-10 and 15-13. In the fifth and deciding game, Corrigan tired, and the momentum shifted once again. Myers emerged victorious, 15-8.

The three Harvard freshmen did not have nearly as much trouble as each won, 3-0. Laura Kaye, playing in the tough second position, swept Karen Adair, 15-13, 15-9, 15-10; Lili Pew, at number five, beat Tami Rosenberger, allowing just 20 points; and Betsy Howe, making her varsity debut, topped Lexi Turner, 15-7, 15-10, 15-5.

Meanwhile, Crimson veterans Libby Pierpont and Caroline Cunningham quickly disposed of their opponents by relying on deep cross-courts and lobs.

Pierpont, in the third position, defeated Sue Jameson, 15-5, 15-12, 8-15, 15-7, while Caroline Cunningham breezed past Heather Cinderhill, 15-6, 15-5, 15-10.

Crimson captain Ellie Cunningham absorbed Harvard's second loss of the day, falling to Caroline Platte, 15-5, 15-12, 8-15, 15-9.

Gelid

The Crimson overcame a very real home-court advantage for the Cardinals. The Wesleyan courts were quite cold, as compared to Hemenway's courts, rendered almost tropical by a malfunction in the cooling unit. Consequently, the ball did not bounce as high, and the Harvard players had to concentrate on hitting their shots deep and waiting for the opportunity to get in front and hit corner shots.

"The Wesleyan team was sharp and especially competent because of their familiarity with the court's temperature," Ellie Cunningham said after the match.

"They were 'up' for us due to a long series of defeats, and tried to psyche us out with organized warm-up exercises on the exhibition court. It didn't work," she added.

The Key

Harvard's victory underscored the depth of the team. Each player moved up two positions and each proved equal to the task.

In addition, the strong performance of the Harvard freshmen, none of whom has lost a game yet this season, bodes well for the future.

THE NOTEBOOK: Kris Kinney, Princeton's number one player, proved to be a Crimson nemesis in the invitational. She defeated Stimpson in the first round, and went on to beat Harrison in the consolation final, 15-13, 15-13, 15-7...Pine Manor's Jane Giamattei won the tournament, defeating Nina Porter of Trinity in the finals...Barnaby attended the Princeton Invitational to scout the opposition...Pris Pool, the Crimson's new assistant coach, accompanied the team to Middletown...The Crimson face Brown at Hemenway on Tuesday. This traditional rivalry is intensified by the fact that Paul Moses, former Harvard coach, now directs the Bruins...Josie Iselin, Harvard's fourth promising freshman, swept Molly Magovern, 15-4, 15-6, 15-4 in the eight (top JV) position...Harvard senior Wendy Sonnabend has missed this season's first two matches because of a knee injury incurred while playing soccer.