Racquetmen Slaughter Purple Cows, 9-0

"A good experience" is almost squads can hope for when they square off against the powerhouse Harvard men's squash team.

So, after the racquetmen smashed host Williams, 9-0, yesterday, Purple Cows Coach Steven Heath said he was pleased with the day's events.

"Everybody played as well as could be expected," Heath said. "Harvard just has a lot of depth and lots more experience. It was a good experience for us to play them."

The Crimson racquetmen now boast a 6-0 record and only arch-rival Princeton presented much of a challenge. Last night in Hemenway Gym, only first seed David Boyum and Co-Captain John Dinneen dropped a game, as Harvard displayed its depth through all nine positions.

Though the Crimson clinched the match much earlier, the final game, between Boyum and Ephman All-American Greg Zaff, proved to be the most exciting of the evening and one of Boyum's most challenging contests all season.

Zaff attacked Boyum from the start, matching corner shots and serving fiercely. But Boyum performed with his usual thorough, aggressive intensity, an took the first game 15-8.

"I've never played a better match, and I had a lot of fun," Zaff said. "David plays a very fair match. I've never seen anyone who tries so hard for every shot and doesn't let you get away with anything."

Boyum appeared to let up in the second game, however, as Zaff won 15-11. Frequently chastising himself in frustration, Boyum allowed Zaff to set the pace of the game. "I think he played very well in the game he won," Boyum said. "Sometimes I start to think too much in the game and criticize my own play, instead of just playing the game and trying to do it right."

Though Boyum continued to berate his play, he never gave Zaff much time to think, and he won the last two games, 15-8, 15-12. Explained Fish, "We're just much stronger than most of the teams we're playing, because we're starting out with better players."

Challenge

Yale may offer the Crimson some competition February 26, but the racquetmen first travel to San Francisco for the U.S. team championship. The Crimson is seeded first and Boyum will probably be seeded first in singles competition. Fish has slotted Richard Jackson, Co-Captain Geordie Lemmon, Jim Lubowitz, Dinneen and freshman David Segal for the five-man team competition, while freshman number-two Kenton Jernigan and number-three sophomore Brad Desaulniers will also play singles.

Though Princeton is seeded second behind Harvard, the Tigers have decided they will only play one of their top seeds--Rob Hill--in singles competition, and should therefore have a team advantage.

THE NOTEBOOK: Lubowitz defeated Doug Robie 15-12, 15-12, 15-9. Robie is the freshman brother of Chip Robie, co-captain of last year's Crimson and an All-American.