A clean slate for W. Squash against Tigers

When the Penn women's squash team showed up at Princeton last season, it was full of optimism after just gaining the No. 1 spot in the country.

Already, the Quakers had an eye on the possibility of winning their first national title since 2000.

But the Tigers soundly dashed those dreams, as the Red and Blue finished fourth in the country, unable to recover from the 7-2 loss.

Tonight, the No. 2 Quakers (8-0, 4-0 Ivy) look to regain the top spot from the school that ended their brief stint at No. 1 last season: Princeton.

Once again, both teams enter the match undefeated.

This time around, however, the roles have been reversed. Princeton (3-0, 2-0), fresh off its national championship, is the top team in the country, while Penn enters the match as the underdog. The Red and Blue also have the benefit of playing at home.

"We're hoping for a big crowd," coach Jack Wyant said. "We've got a relatively small gym, so with a decent crowd out, it can get pretty loud."

The team appears glad that Princeton is playing to hang on to its No. 1 ranking. And even with a loss, Penn should remain near the top of the polls.

Being the underdog "always takes off pressure," co-captain Elizabeth Kern said. "We go into the match with everything to gain while they go in with only something to lose."

This Princeton squad is one of its strongest in years.

Eight of the Tigers' top nine players enter the match ranked in the individual top 60. The team won the Constable/USSRA Tournament that it hosted earlier this month, against a field that included Trinity and Mt. Holyoke .

"There is no doubt that they are a very deep team," coach Jack Wyant said. "They have talent up and down their roster."

Penn hasn't beaten Princeton in the regular season since 2003, losing four matches - and one more in the postseason - at the hands of the Tigers since.

Though it didn't count toward either team's record, the Quakers defeated Princeton 5-4 at this year's Ivy scrimmages in early November.

"It showed us that we can compete with them," Wyant said, "but they had a few players who were injured that day."

Still, the team is in good spirits entering the match.

"We're confident that we're going to play great squash," Kern said. "We finally get to put all the hard work we've been putting in into play on the court."

Princeton has yet to cede an individual match in any of its contests so far. Even in defeat, Penn could be the team to end this streak.

"Our goal is to play to our potential," Wyant said. "The team that enjoys the moment the most and is able to relax will be successful."

For the Quakers to "enjoy the moment," they'll first have to put their memories of last season behind them.

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