W. Squash | Penn has Diplomatic immunity

Women's squash coach Jack Wyant required all his players to participate in intrasquad scrimmages and practices over break as preparation for the team's match against No. 27 Franklin and Marshall last night.

Looks like the training sessions paid off big time.

Staying in shape and keeping their skills sharp proved a successful strategy, as the No. 2 Quakers swept the Diplomats, 9-0, in Lancaster, Pa.

"It feels great to be back together," senior captain Emily Goodwin said. "We feed off of each other's energy. It feels good to put together what we've been working on . We trained hard over break."

In addition to the sessions over break, Wyant claimed that a "talent gap" between the Quakers (6-0) and the Diplomats contributed to the win since his team was "a stronger team across the board."

The Franklin and Marshall squad entered the match with a hapless 1-5 record, and the Quakers handed them one of their worst losses of the season.

Each of Penn's nine wins was a definitive 3-0 result. In fact, the Red and Blue only gave up 21 points the entire night. And senior Tara Chawla did not even surrender a single point in the sixth flight.

"A win's a win," Goodwin said. "Against any team it feels great."

Both Wyant and Goodwin acknowledged the match was a good start to the second half of the season. They saw it as good practice and preparation for harder matches coming in the near future. The women have not seen true competition since their Dec. 6 game against now-No. 5 Yale which they won 5-4.

"It's good for the girls to get back in the mode of playing a match," Wyant said. "We're happy to get back out there and get another win under our belt, and we always like to play our in-state rivals."

"We feel great," Goodwin added. "Any competition is a chance to practice what we've been training for."

The Quakers' perfect record does not come without dedication and a commitment to continuous improvement.

"It's really all about getting out there every day and taking the time and taking advantage of the court time that we have to give it all we've got and walk off the court feeling satisfied and feeling like we've learned something each time," Goodwin said.

Though squash is an individual sport, the team's togetherness has proven vital so far this season. It's certainly not a one-woman show. In fact, usual No. 1 Kristen lange didn't even play last night.

"We're all so close to each other, we all get along so well, and we all play our part," Goodwin said. "We feel like we have a great dynamic. Being a captain isn't too much of a job. It's more of a reward being with these girls every day."

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