Racquetmen Nab Third Place

Some giveth, and some taketh away.

After defeating Yale, 6-3, last Wednesday, the Harvard men's squash team created a three-way tie for the regular-season championship. Both Yale, Princeton and Harvard thought they would share the national championship.

But the National Intercollegiate Squash Racquets Association does not recognize ties for the national championship. Based on a tie-breaking procedure, Harvard finishes in third place for the regular-season title, behind Princeton and Yale.

Now back to the news on the court.

In the inaugural post-season national nine-man tournament held this weekend at Yale's Payne Whitney Gym, the Crimson won two out of three matches to finish in third place.

Harvard started off the tournament with a 7-2 win against Franklin and Marshall, but lost to Yale in the semifinals, 6-3. In the third-place match, the Crimson defeated Penn, 6-3.

The Elis captured the national nine-man tournament title.

"We're a little bit upset," Harvard Co-Captain Frank Huerta said. "We're not happy that we we were cut down from first to third because of a tie-breaking procedure."

The NISRA used comparative scores between the Elis, Tigers and Crimson to determine the national champion. Yale earned three points for the Harvard match and seven for the Princeton match for a total of 10 points.

Princeton had eight points for the Harvard match and two for the Yale match for 10 points. The Crimson gained one point for the Princeton match and six points against Yale for seven points.

Homecourt advantage was definitely the key to the seson. During the regular season, Yale beat Princeton in New Haven, Princeton beat Harvard in Princeton, and the Crimson defeated Yale in Cambridge.

In the Yale match, sophomore George Polsky and freshman Jeremy Fraiberg were the only Harvard players to defeat a Yale opponent.

Junior Jon Bernheimer, Harvard Co-Captain Doug Lifford, and Farokh Pandole lost in four games, while Huerta, Jon Masland and Seth Handy all lost in three games.

"There was too much of a home-court advantage," Huerta said.

"I think we came in with the right attitude," Masland said. "Yale just played better squash. They really played well. They're a small level above us. It was kind of anticlimactic. [Last] Wednesday was such a high for us. It's not an excuse, but it's not the same level of intensity."