Crimson Racquetmen Topple Elis, 6-3, Capture Ivy, National Nine-Man Titles

Like the U.S. Olympic hockey tea, the Harvard men's squash team found a way to increase the incidence of duodenal ulcers. And like the American icemen, the Crimson racquetment produced a happy ending, clinching the national nine-man and Ivy League titles by virtue of a 4-3 triumph over Yale in New Haven Saturday.

After previous victories over tough Princeton and Penn squads, the Crimson entered the match heavily favored. But the Elis managed to pose a formidable threat.

At one point, the Crimson Clung to a tenuous 4-3 lead, fifth-slotted Geordie Lemmon trailed 0-1 in games, and 1-8 in the second contest. But Lemmon showed his mettle by rebounding to reel off nine straight points, and thereafter had little trouble disposing of his foe.

Number seven Joe Somers shut out his adversary, 3-0, to widen the margin of victory.

The gastric juices had begun to flow when sixth-ranked Clark Bain and eighth-ranked Bob Blake, both previously undefeated this season, dropped tight matches early on. Bain fell by a 3-1 score, and Blake lost a cliffhanger, 3-2.

Aside from a loss in the third position, where senior John Stubbs was edged, 3-1, the racquetmen bore down and came up winners.

The top-ranked match pitted Bulldog Vic Wagner of Ottawa against Crimson captain Mike Desaulniers of Montreal in a battle of Canadians. Desaulniers capped off a brilliant head-to-head match career--he has never lost in four years--with a routine 15-9, 15-7, 15-8 win.

"Vic is a good softball player, but he depends on simple patterns that break down with the 70-plus ball," Desaulniers said yesterday.

Senior George Bell at number two, hard-hitting Chip Robie at number four, and scrambling John Dineen at number nine also polished off their Eli opponents, 3-0.

"It was a well-contested match--we demonstrated that we can lose in some of our stronger places and still have other guys come through," coach Dave Fish said yesterday.

THE NOTEBOOK: The national championship is Fish's first since he took the varsity helm four years ago... The team now awaits a celebration dinner at Locke-Ober's--proof that champions eat well... The squad now braces for a shot at the national six-man titled, contested next weekend in Philadelphia.