Freshman Raheem Salah was one of nine members of Penn women's squash to down her opponent on Friday as the Quakers swept Columbia, 9-0, in the Collegiate Squash Association national semifinals.
Credit: Ananya Chandra , Ananya ChandraSome streaks were made to be broken. But not today.
In the opening round of the Potter and Howe Cups, Penn’s men’s and women’s squads extended two very different streaks.
For the women, the good times kept on coming as they steamrolled Columbia (6-7), 9-0, two weeks after defeating the Lions by the same score at Ringe Courts.
With several sweeps coming from all over the ladder, the Quakers (13-1) will be riding high into their semifinal matchup tomorrow.
Another team with a confident mindset will be the Red and Blue’s semifinal opponent, Princeton. After taking down Stanford, 8-1, in their opening round match, the Tigers will try to carry the momentum into an upset of the second-ranked Quakers.
Penn’s last matchup with the Orange and Black went swimmingly, downing their rivals, 8-1. By keeping true to their laurels, the Red and Blue should be able to replicate that result.
On the other side of the Howe Cup bracket, perennial powerhouses Harvard and Trinity will collide in the other semifinal matchup.
In the opening round of the Potter Cup, the Penn’s men’s team drew Rochester, a team they had defeated previously, 6-3, in their home opener. Faced with the task of replicating the victory, the Quakers were never able to get going and were out of the match before the second shift’s matches ended, eventually falling, 8-1.
The Red and Blue (9-6) were able to hang with the Yellowjackets for most of the match, causing the total match time to eclipse the three-hour mark. But they were ultimately were not able to overcome Rochester’s relentless assault.
With the national championship now firmly out of reach, their focus now turns to their matchup in the consolation bracket. Waiting for Penn at the Brady Squash Center tomorrow will be Columbia, the team that spoiled their senior night with a 5-4 upset.
Saturday’s match gives the Red and Blue two huge opportunities, one to snap their four-game losing streak, and two a chance to avenge their loss to the Lions earlier in the season.
It remains to be seen if they're up to the task.
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