Squash Defeats First of Killer P's

Harvard men's and women's squash teams embarked on the most important weekend of their respective seasons, as they headed to Penn on Saturday. The women needed a win against the undefeated Quakers to stay in contention for an Ivy crown.

The men's squad was hoping to gain momentum heading into its crucial match-up against Princeton. The teams travelled to New Jersey after defeating Penn, but could not be reached to comment on their matches against the Tigers.

Women

The undefeated women's squad headed into Penn's Ringe Courts on Saturday afternoon knowing that the Quakers had not lost since Feb. 13 of last year.

The Crimson also knew that it was the last team to defeat the defending Ivy League champions.

Harvard beat the Quakers, 5-4, and ensured at least a share of the Ivy League crown. The women need to beat lowly Yale next week to unseat Penn as champs.

Harvard needed every match to tame the Quakers.

The Crimson's bottom third turned in clutch performances, as senior Katie Gregory and freshmen Ashley Harmeling and Kirstin Wadwha swept the seventh through ninth spots for Harvard. Each woman won in convincing fashion, 3-0. Harmeling was brutally efficient in her defeat of Quaker freshman Quincy Riley, giving up only three points in winning, 9-3, 9-0, 9-0.

Harvard's No. 1 player, freshman Louisa Hall, fell to Penn sophomore Runa Reta in three games, 9-6, 9-3, 9-4. Reta is still undefeated on the year in Ivy play.

Crimson captain Margaret Elias was able to recover Harvard's momentum after Hall's loss. Elias continued her strong play at No. 2, as her experience carried her past Quaker freshman Defna Wegner in straight games, 9-4, 9-5, 9-6.

Men

The Harvard men rolled past an overmatched Penn squad, taking all nine matches and winning every game.

Men

Co-captains Deepak Abraham and Shondip Ghosh paced the Crimson. From the No. 1 slot, Abraham wore down Quaker senior Peter Withstandley, 15-6, 15-12, 17-14. Withstandley fought hard, battling Abraham for several lenghty points, but was no match for the Harvard captain in the end.

Junior Peter Karlen continued his stellar play, dominating junior Roberto Kriete, 15-5, 15-3, 15-1.

The Crimson remain undefeated in the Ivy League, and need to defeat Princton to ensure at least a share of the Ivy League crown. The Tigers upset Harvard last year, beating the Crimson, 5-4, preventing it from winning an Ivy championship for the first time in ten years.