Trinity Edges M., W. Squash in 5-4 Heartbreaker

Score round one to Trinity, but rest assured that round two will be just as thrilling.

The greatest rivalry in collegiate squash lived up to expectations on Saturday, as a standing-room-only crowd at Barnaby Courts watched the No. 1 Harvard women' s squash team and No. 2 men' s team both drop 5-4 heartbreakers to their counterparts from Trinity College.

For six hours, nervous anticipation filled the air as the match scores swung back and forth like a pendulum. The jubilation of an individual win was tempered by the realization that every match counted--in what is usually an individualistic sport, each player felt that the team was all that mattered on this day.

"It always feels good to win your individual match, but we win and lose as a team," said Harvard women's No. 3 Carlin Wing, who was one of four Harvard women to triumph individually.

Prior to Saturday's competition, the Harvard women had occupied the top spot in the Women's Intercollegiate Squash Association national polls since pre-season. Trinity, which began the

season at No. 4, had slowly climbed to No. 2 and will in all likelihood supplant Harvard at the top spot when the next polls are released.

In addition to Wing, Katie Gregory, Kristin Wadwha and Ella Witcher were also victorious for the Crimson. Although the team came up one win short in the end, the competitiveness and high quality of play was not lost on the players.

"I know my teammates gave everything they had," Wing said. "Just because [Trinity] was the better team yesterday, doesn't mean they're going to be the better team in a few weeks time."

The two powerhouses may collide again at the prestigious Howe Cup on Feb 16-18 at Yale University. Although Princeton is the two-time defending champion, Harvard and Trinity

should both be in the mix to take home the championship trophy.

For now, the Harvard women will return to training knowing that only a few points here and there separate them from being the best team in the country.

Men

The Crimson men underwent a similar experience Saturday, falling just short of upsetting top-ranked Trinity, the defending national champion. After the air settled following the thrilling women's match, an overwhelming intensity engulfed the stands as the men's teams squared off. In front of a saturated set of bleachers and three rows worth of onlookers in the balcony, Harvard No. 2 Pete Karlen gave his team the early lead with a victory over All-American and No. 4 ranked Lafike Ragontse on center court.

The match featured several spectacular points, some of which lasted upwards of one minute. With chants of "Let's go Harvard" echoing through the cozy facility, Karlen displayed a balance of power and finesse that was ultimately too devastating for the nimble-footed Ragontse.

"You get pumped up and fired up when the crowd goes crazy like that, but you've still got to focus on your match," Karlen said.

Soon after Karlen finished, teammate Andrew Merrill notched a second victory for the Crimson. Grayson Witcher was also successful, and his win evened up the match score at 3-3 with three matches remaining.

But Trinity captured the next two matches to take a 5-3 lead, rendering Harvard No. 3 Shondip Ghosh's match with Nicholas Kyme meaningless in terms of the team outcome. Although Ghosh found out after his third game that Trinity had won the match, he stayed focused and put forth a superior effort that earned him a well-deserved 3-1 victory.

"I was too into the match to let it really affect me," Ghosh said. "I just

channeled the frustration into stepping up a notch in the fourth and managed to pull through."

Ghosh's work ethic symbolized an overall team effort that left Trinity Coach Paul Assaiante impressed and feeling fortunate to return to Hartford with an unblemished record.

"Harvard played beautifully...they really played super," Assaiante said. "We were very lucky to get out of here with a win."

Like the Harvard women, the men will have to settle for a second-place ranking as the dual match season continues. But further down the road, the national team championships at Yale will offer the Crimson another opportunity to play giant killer.

"We didn't win, but we knocked down some of their perennial power guys and edged closer to beating them," Karlen said.

Having completed double sessions of training for the past several weeks, Harvard will return to practice knowing that the sweet taste of a national championship is well within reach.

"You're going to see some pretty amazing things from this team over the next few weeks--[from both] men and women," Ghosh promised. "This is just the beginning, [and] we have even more potential to exploit."

For both the men and women, the road to the national championship begins again this Wednesday at Amherst.

And as for the rivalry with Trinity, things are just starting to heat up.

Round one may be over, but round two might be even better.