Raquetmen Give Big Red Big Pain, 7-2

Simply put, they won again.

The Harvard men's squash team (4-0 overall, 1-0 Ivy) rallied its way to a 7-2 victory against Cornell Saturday afternoon. Spoiled by three shutouts in a row, the team was happy--but not ecstatic--with its victory over last year's number-six ranked team.

"I think they could have played better, but they played well," Harvard Coach Steve Piltch said. "Anytime you're on the road, it's a little bit tougher."

If number-one seeded Mark Baker found it tougher playing a first team All-American, such as the Big Red's Paul Gardner, he sure didn't show it. Described after the match by his coach as "one of the better intercollegiate players," Baker confidently struck out his talented opponent in three games. And brothers Jon and Jim Masland, playing at four and six seeds, were literally on the ball, exhausting their opponents with their persistence.

Jon took the court by storm, drawing out points until provided with the perfect opportunity, then agilely putting the point to bed.

"I didn't give him any easy points and he just started to hit the tin," Masland said. "Then I jumped all over him." Although the match against Cornell's Richard Loh was Masland's first match of the season, he said he felt "as if he hadn't missed any matches at all."

Older brother Jim lay waste his opponent's frantic efforts for points. In his first game, he let in just three points. In his second game, just five. The third was a little sloppier, with thirteen points rearing their ugly heads into the game--almost making the match close. But Masland kept his cool and won.

You Can't Always Get What You Want...

Number-two seed Jonny Kaye dropped his first match of the season with a 15-10, 15-12, 12-15, 15-10 loss to the Big Red's Richa Chin.

"He played better, so he won," said Kaye, talking about his opponent, who had also beaten Princeton's number-two seed earlier this season."

Junior Bobby Greenhill, playing at ninth seed, also fell to his opponent, In Kim, in four games.

The Crimson had ruthlessly slammed the door on 27 games in a row--three straight matches--against Navy, Franklin & Marshall and Trinity. But Saturday, Cornell blurred the Crimson player's visions of shutouts dancing in their heads.

Cornell is now 1-2, after falling to Princeton, 7-2, and beating Trinity, 6-3, earlier this year.

For now, the Crimson has a chance to practice, prepare and improve for January's USSRA team championships and the relentless onslaught of challenging matches in February. The trend so far looks good.

"I think they play a little better each time," said Piltch.

That's tough to do when you usually win, 9-0.

Crimson, 7-2 at Ithaca, N.Y.

1. Mark Baker (HARVARD) d. Paul Gardner (Cornell), 15-9, 15-7, 15-9; 2. Richard Chin (Cornell) d. Jonny Kaye (HARVARD), 15-10, 15-12, 12-15, 15-10; 3. Jon Bernheimer (HARVARD) d. Kevin Klipstein (Cornell), 15-6, 15-13, 15-12; 4. Jon Masland (HARVARD) d. Richard Loh (Cornell), 15-6, 15-11, 15-8; 5. Farokh Pandole (HARVARD) d. Jon Mao (Cornell), 15-12, 15-7, 15-6; 6. Jim Masland (HARVARD) d. Nick Bumstead (Cornell), 15-3, 15-5, 15-13; 7. Josh Horwitz (HARVARD) d. Mark Breuers (Cornell), 15-12, 15-9, 15-10; 8. Raj Mahidhara (HARVARD) d. Erik Gehring (Cornell), 15-10, 15-10, 15-6; 9. In Kim (Cornell) d. Bobby Greenhill (HARVARD), 15-10, 15-11, 11-15, 15-10.