M. Tennis downs Cadets in slugfest

In an epic battle, Penn defeated Army yesterday. Some things happen only on the tennis court. Avenging its upset loss to the Black Knights at the ECAC Tournament on October 6, the Penn men's tennis team throttled Army 5-2 yesterday at West Point. "I knew we were a better team than them when we lost in the fall," Penn sophomore Ryan Harwood said. "Today, after winning pretty convincingly, I think we proved that loss was a fluke." After dropping two out of three doubles matches -- Penn's lone victory came at No. 2 -- the Red and Blue (7-5) roared back with a vengeance, capturing five singles matches en route to victory. Although the final score indicates a near Quakers sweep in singles, the individual match wins did not come easily. Whereas No. 2 Harwood(6-2, 7-6), No. 4 Rob Pringle (6-4, 6-4) and No.5 Eric Sobotka (6-3, 7-6) were able to win in hard-fought straight set triumphs, No.1 Fanda Stejskal (6-0, 1-6, 6-3) and No. 3 Brian Barki (6-2, 4-6, 6-4) each needed three sets to defeat their respective opponents. "Army is a bunch of gritty guys," Harwood said. "We're much more talented, but they're tough competitors and taught never to quit. It was a battle out there. But in the end, the better team won." Equipped with a momentum-building victory, the galvanized Red and Blue are confident heading into Ivy League play. Penn opens its league schedule at Yale on April 6. "I think we're really starting to come together as a team," Barki said. "We should be ready to compete." Penn will need more than confidence, however, if it aspires to improve upon its 3-4 record last season and contend for the Ancient Eight crown. Perennial favorite Harvard (5-2 in the Ivies last season) -- currently ranked 28th in the country -- returns a top squad and is poised to regain the conference title after finishing runner-up to undefeated Columbia(7-0). The Elis and the Princeton will also be formidable opponents in what figures to be a highly competitive Ivy League season. "The league is going to be a challenge," Harwood said. "There is no dominant team. I don't think any team will go undefeated." However, Harwood vowed not to make any prognostications, rather seeking to take a more pragmatic, match-by-match approach to league play. "We're going to take each match as they come," he said. "First things first. We must take care of Yale."

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