While the Quakers may have added another tally to No. 1 Trinity’s 214-match winning streak last Saturday, the men’s squash team knows it’s time for a rebound.
Penn (5-4, 1-2 Ivy) plays its final home game of the season tonight against Ivy rival Princeton (5-1, 2-0) at Ringe Courts.
“We spoke about staying positive and being confident as individuals and as a team,” coach Craig Thorpe-Clark said.
“We played a good team in Trinity,” he added. “We need to use that as a good experience — as an opportunity to go out and improve against Princeton.”
For this Penn team, the loss against Trinity has no bearing on tonight’s match.
“Morale on the team is not bad,” Thorpe-Clark said. “Princeton will be like Trinity. They’ve been the second-best team for a few years.”
The Quakers have lost to Princeton 0-9 each of the past three seasons, and the last time a Penn player defeated a Tiger was in 2006.
But Thorpe-Clark doesn’t think recent history will impact the team’s expectations.
“We don’t look to the past to dictate the future,” Thorpe-Clark said.
To Penn’s advantage, the Tigers could be rusty. They have played three fewer matches than Penn this year and have not competed since December 13. The Quakers will also have a boost this year because they play at Ringe Courts.
“We’ve been playing well up to this point,” Thorpe-Clark said. “We’ve played opponents who were much stronger than us.”
“We always want to go out and challenge [who we play], no matter who we step on court with,” he added.
This year the Quakers will have the benefit of senior captain Mark Froot, who did not compete against Princeton last season.
Overall, Thorpe-Clark thinks the Quakers have a much better chance to go out and win this match than they have as of late.
“It’ll be closer and more interesting than it’s been in the past,” Thorpe-Clark said. “They have a lot of seniors that graduated, and they have a few injuries. We’ll bring our full squad out.”
This being the last home game, the Quakers are looking for a strong close to the season. Tonight will be a litmus test of sorts for how well the Quakers will perform against Harvard and Dartmouth, their last two matchups of the year.
“We close out the last four matches against Trinity, Princeton, Harvard and Dartmouth,” Thorpe-Clark said. “They’re tough matchups every year.”
“The point is ‘Let’s be confident in our skill and ability to go out and challenge them.’”
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.