Racquetmen Shut Out Navy

How does a team top an unbeaten season which includes three separate national championships? Maybe there isn't a way, but the Harvard men's squash team disappointed nobody yesterday, shutting out Navy 9-0 in Hemenway Gym.

While everyone present expected a Crimson triumph, the team's easy adjustment to a last-minute injury surprised even the most ardent Harvard fans.

While warming up just before the match, the Crimson's number-two player, All-American Richard Jackson, chipped his tooth and had to rush off to the dentist's office. Without time to reshuffle the lineup. Harvard Coach Dave Fish sent freshman Joe Dowling, usually the first alternate, up against Navy's second player, Tim Tinney.

But the Dowling-Tinney match was the last one to take place. First, the racquetmen disposed of the other eight Middies.

In some cases this was no problem, as Dave Segal, Mike Mack, and co-captain Jim Lubowitz disposed of their opponents in straight games. But playing their first matches of the season, Pete Dincen, Tao Johnson, and co-captain Spencer Brog all needed five games to overcome their Midshipman foes.

When Dowling and Tinney played in the finale. Harvard had already won the match, and there was no pressure on Dowling. This worked to his advantage as he jumped to a 2-0 lead.

But the favored Tinney regained his composure while Dowling seemed to tire. The score was soon 2-2.

In the fifth and deciding game, both players came alive, and the play became fast and furious. Dowling matched Tinney point for point. With the score knotted at 14, the Crimson freshman stuck a finger up at the Midshipman, indicating that the next point would win the match. Seconds later, Dowling hit the winner and a chorus of cheers rose from his teammates, who had been watching intensely.

"The team really supported me and that helped a lot," Dowling said afterwards. "I could hear Peter behind me, and Spencer in back. I knew he was a better player, so I just tried to psyche him out," he added.

Fish was pleased with his squad's first performance of the year. "We have a bunch of guys who are untested, and they [Navy] have played a couple of matches already. We are in the same situation in last year. We have guys with little experience."

Last year's squad dominated the national squash scene, winning the nine-man, the five-man, and all three divisions of the singles national championships. "We have as good a chance as anyone else to win the Nationals [again]," said Fish.

Strong Up Front

But at the beginning of this year the team hindered its progress by comparing itself to last year's squad. "We had to get over that and get back to basics," Fish explained.

Harvard is strong at the top of its team, with three All-American, Dave Boyum, Jackson, and Lubowitz. Next semester, national champion Kenton Jernigan will be returning from New Zealand, where he has been playing with the U.S. National team.

"But matches aren't won only at the top," said Fish. "We really want to improve ourselves down lower. It is a matter of pride. We have a deep group of very capable freshmen, and we're working hard."

The racquetmen's next match will be against Trinity next Wednesday. "We've never played down there, and they have three returning. All-Americans," said Lubowitz. "It'll be a tough match," he added.