M. Squash splits weekend decisions

The New England Small College Athletic Conference struck back with a vengeance against the Penn men's squash team this Saturday in Hartford, Conn. The Quakers -- after defeating nationally ranked NESCAC opponents Bowdoin, Amherst and Williams by scores of 9-0, 9-0 and 8-1, in their last three matches -- fell to No. 1 Trinity College, 9-0, on Saturday. But a loss against superior competition can often yield positive results. And while Penn (6-3, 1-2 Ivy) was disappointed with the outcome, the team was not terribly surprised. "It was expected," sophomore Richard Repetto said. "Trinity is far and away ahead of everybody. We judge the match by what we learned, not by how we did." Trinity, a perennial powerhouse in collegiate men's squash, has won the National Intercollegiate Squash Championship for five straight years. The Bantams are comprised primarily of foreign players -- a stark contrast to the uniformly American-born Quakers. The match snapped a four-game winning streak for Penn, which is currently No. 8 in the country in the most recent squashtalk.com poll. The Quakers won a mere one of 27 games played during the match. Competing at the No. 9 spot on the ladder, junior Matt Vergare scored the lone victory in a game against Trinity. "We didn't want to lose all 27 games," Vergare said. "Trinity is a formidable opponent. It was a good experience for us to play against people from all over the world." "It was kind of a big deal that Vergare won a game against Trinity," sophomore Billy Peelle said. Peelle was unable to make the trip after suffering a knee injury. Competing at No. 1 on the ladder, Repetto -- currently No. 11 in squashtalk.com's individual poll -- faced the nation's defending intercollegiate champion Bernardo Samper. Samper is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation. Repetto was one of the few players in the nation to win a game against Samper last year. "I got smoked," Repetto said. "He's a very good player, and he's gotten better over the past year. He covered everything I put out. For me to contend with him, I need to work on my speed." The competition will not get any easier for Repetto, as he faces No. 1 Yasser El Halaby of Princeton on Jan. 29. Halaby defeated Samper handily in a match earlier this season. "I think I can still move up individually," Repetto said. Although its four-game winning streak has come to an end, Penn was able almost immediately to put to use the valuable experience of playing against the nation's No. 1 team. The Quakers scored a convincing 8-1 victory against another NESCAC opponent -- No. 17 Bates College -- in New Haven, Conn., later that afternoon. Freshman Colby Emerson was the only Penn player to lose in the match. "We were kind of tired after the Trinity match," Repetto said. "But it was nice that we were able to come back and play decently against Bates."

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