The men's squash team better enjoy it while it lasts.
Coming off of break, Penn's schedule featured matches against a number of weaker opponents. And after taking care of Amherst and Williams Saturday, the No. 7 Quakers head to Franklin & Marshall tonight for their final match of the season against another team ranked outside of the top eight.
With perennial superpower Trinity on tap for Saturday, it may be easy to overlook the No. 16 Diplomats. But the Quakers (5-2, 1-2 Ivy) are focused on their present opponent first and hope that a win will give them confidence for the tough stretch ahead.
"Everybody's going to be out there playing their hardest because they want to be nice and ready for the upcoming weekend," senior Bobby Dickey said.
F&M; is not the strongest squad on paper. The 9-2 Diplomats boast only two players in the national top-100 - Nadav Tannen and Sadiq Madraswala. Penn, on the other hand, has nine.
But coach Craig Thorpe-Clark is wary that his team's opponent will be hungry for an upset. F&M; has already lost to Cornell and Princeton, but Thorpe-Clark knows that a win over the Quakers would be extra special for the Diplomats.
"I know they look at us as a close rival," he said. "Geographically, they're one of our closest opponents. They're rapidly improving and they're looking to measure their improvement against us."
For many reasons, then, Thorpe-Clark is opting to play his full lineup instead of resting the top few players. The only absent player will be senior Andrew Zimmerman, who is out with a back injury.
"We [will] play our best team and get the best result so we can go into the weekend with some momentum," sophomore Porter Drake said.
Above all, Thorpe-Clark is determined not to let his team overlook tonight's opponent.
"I'll remind them all the way out there what my expectations are," he said. "To play hard, to get in front, to control the rallies and to continue playing like we did against Williams."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.