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Racquetmen Shake Snow, Quake Penn in Philly, 10-0

By Carla D. Williams

Harvard's men's squash team yesterday took a 10-0 victory over the University of Pennsylvania, raising its record to a perfect 5-0.

The racquetmen scheduled to meet Penn on Saturday, flew to Philly after Logan Airport cleared Sunday, and returned with another nearly effortless win. Now only a week away from the U.S. National Team Championships to be played in San Francisco, the Crimson dropped only one game to Coach Al Malloy's Quakers.

Harvard arrived 45 minutes before match time and immediately took the courts to get used to the cool temperatures and establish its rails. "Penn likes to start early and grab control of a match before the visiting team has a chance to get used to the courts," team manager Tom Bator said "So it was important that they get on the courts quickly."

After initial adjustments, the racquetmen didn't have much trouble with the Quakers Number two seed Brad Desaulmers faced Penn's speedy veteran senior Anil Malik, who hit a number of well placed retrievals. But Desaulmers used his quickness and creative shot placement to take the match, 15-12, 15-8, 15-12.

The only loss in 10 matches came against Captain John Dinneen, whose opponent. Quaker Fac Cogan, used a number of nick shots effectively Dinneen took the first game, 15-9, dropped the second, 5-15, then rallied and won the next two, 15-10, 15-11.

Harvard's victory over the Quakers marks the continuing decline of Penn's once highly lauded program Malloy's top five seeds will graduate, leaving those positions to fill, last year, after Harvard beat Penn, 9-0, four of his top seeds were lost to graduation.

The Crimson's top three seeds David Boyum. Kenion Jerniga and Desaulmers will play singles at the Nationals this weekend, leaving the next five ranking players to go for the team title Harvard will receive its biggest challenge from Princeton, which plans to enter only one of its top seeds--Robb Hill--in singles competition.

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