W. Squash Tears Apart Trinity With Ease, 9-0

This is getting out of control.

It's no secret that the Harvard women's squash team is one of the best in the nation. The Crimson steamrolled through the competition last year to win the Howe Cup and the national title and looked to be powerful again this season.

But what Harvard (8-0 Dual, 4-0 Ivy) is doing now is beyond powerful. The team is completely tearing through its opponents; it is on a certifiable rampage.

On Saturday, Harvard took on Trinity, which is considered to be an up-and-coming-team. Well, that is, if its confidence isn't shattered from the match.

Harvard won, 9-0. That by itself isn't a reason for the Crimson to celebrate--it's happened four times before. But in the nine individual matches, which are best-of-five, the Harvard players only lost one game. That is, each player won her match 3-0, except for co-captain Rosie Stovell, who won only 3-1.

If there is ever a reason to use the term "utter domination", it is now.

"Trinity's a tough team, and it was definitely one of our toughest matches," senior Debbie Lipson said. "[But] everyone was ready to play the match and stayed focused throughout."

To say the least.

The Howe Cup Tournament is quickly approaching--it starts this Friday--and its timing could not be much better for the Crimson.

But it is not safe to say that Harvard is peaking. Because that would imply that there is nowhere to go but down.

"The team has always worked really hard and we're putting a lot of time in this year," Lipson said. "We're coming together and are fired up to play this weekend."

Ironically, the one thing that Harvard can thank for its new resurgence is Princeton. It was that match, the Crimson's first difficult test of the season, when the team first had to show its collective muscle.

Now it seems that Harvard is addicted to shows of force. And while it cannot be said enough that Trinity is a talented squad, it did not have a snowball's chance in hell against Harvard.

So, to the Tigers' chagrin, it looks as though Princeton created a monster.

"Princeton was the first match where we had to get all fired up," freshman Ivy Pochoda said, "It's a feeling that we still have."