Strong Squash Team Faces Cadets; Crimson Favored in Season's Start

Most squash teams would worry about inconsistency when their number nine beats their number three and their number six beats their number nine in the same week. But Harvard coach Jack Barnaby enters today's match at Army "pleased as punch" with the strong balance of the Crimson's ladder.

"At the beginning of the season I told the boys not to concentrate on securing a particular spot on the ladder but rather have their eye set on becoming damn good players," Barnaby said. "We now have three number one men, and half a dozen number twos."

Harvard can be sure it has talent spread throughout the starting line-up from top to bottom. Today it will measure exactly how much talent comprises the sum of the parts. Army has only four men back from last year's mediocre squad, and the Crimson should have little trouble securing a victory. A 9-0 or 8-1 margin, however, would encourage championship speculation.

In Wednesday's challenge matches. Peter Briggs topped Dave Fish in a long five-game match to determine one and two. Junior Dan Gordon beat teammates Alain Quasha and Andy Wiegand to move to three. Quasha, suffering from an injury, will start at four ahead of Wiegand.

Sophomore Archie Gwathmay has surprised many people by beating several lettermen for number six. Behind him are senior Lowell Pratt, playing the best of his career according to Barnaby, and Neil Vosters.

Rounding out the ladder is sophomore Glen Whitman. Although Whitman lost to Gwathmas in a challenge Wednesday, the top freshman prospect outdid Gordon. Quasha, and Wiegand, and everyone else to win the Montreal "B" tournament last weekend.

"Each of the bottom players is giving exactly what you hope for out of a non-super player: hard work, toughness, and desire." Barnaby said. "I'm sure we are a stronger team than last year's national champion."

"We may not have found the proper spots for our players this early in the season." Barnaby said. "But even without our best strength at each position, we'll be nine tough matches to beat."

Even depth should not bother the Crimson, for Bob Sedgewick and Rob Shapiro have three years of experience at ten and eleven.

If Barnaby has a problem this winter, it will be motivating the team through the schedule. "We need an incentive." Barnaby said. "Last year catching Penn was our goal, and this year they have the fire of trying to catch us. We seem to have good morale, and we'll need it because we're out for a national team championship."

Army, largely of unknown strength, does pose a threat to an overconfident squad. Playing at West Point gives the Cadets a three point advantage each game, according to Barnaby, and travelling is an additional strain on Harvard.

The Army courts also tend to heat up quickly on warm days, and the Cadets would benefit greatly if the ball should warm up and play faster. "If the ball gets warm, it becomes much more difficult to put away a winning show." Barnaby remarked. "Endurance becomes more important than finesse, and service teams just ooze fight. They lost 9-0 last year, but they just dripped fight."

Rookie coach Ron Holmberg has three good players from last year's squad, but none of them should compare to Briggs and Fish, and only Gordon should face a stiff challenge at three.

"We're strong physically and mentally." Holmberg said, "but the boys have never played squash before entering the Academy."

When asked where his squad's hopes for victory lay. Holmberg replied: "You always have a chance to win." Jimmy the Greek would agree, but he wouldn't bet on it today.