PHILADELPHIA – The No. 3 University of Pennsylvania men's squash team (10-1, 3-0 ivy) will have a quick turnaround after a close, 5-4, road win over No. 8 Princeton on Wednesday. The Quakers return to Philadelphia this weekend to play their second and third matches in six days when they host No. 6 Dartmouth (7-3, 2-1 Ivy) on Saturday (12 p.m.) and No. 1 Harvard (8-0, 3-0 Ivy) on Sunday (1 p.m.).
Previewing Penn
For the first time since 1973-74 the Quakers have defeated Yale and Princeton during the regular season and are 3-0 to start Ivy League play for the first time since 2006-07. Penn enjoyed a come from behind, 5-4, win over the Tigers on Wednesday night.
Aly Abou Eleinen came through in the fifth game at No. 2 to put the Red and Blue up 5-3, clinching the match.
Abou Eleinen remains undefeated at 11-0 this season. The freshman has played some of his best squash when the stakes are at their highest. He is 3-0 in five game matches, two of which have come during Ivy League play.
Last week it was Penn that entered the weekend as the CSA's No. 1 ranked team before getting knocked off by No. 3 Trinity. This weekend, it is the Quakers who are No. 3 and will host No. 1 Harvard. The Quakers and Crimson remain the lone undefeated teams in conference play.
With wins against Dartmouth and Harvard, Penn would improve to 5-0 in Ivy League play for the first time since 1968-69 and set itself up for a run at sole possession of the Ivy League title.
Penn vs. Dartmouth – Saturday, 12 p.m.
Series History
Record: Penn leads, 50-24 | Last meeting: February 3, 2018 (Penn, 5-4)
The Quakers went a perfect three-for-three in five game matches in last season's, 5-4, win at Dartmouth.
Andrew Douglas,
Yash Bhargava, and then senior,
James Watson, all won in five games to push the Red and Blue to victory.
The Big Green are 7-3 this season with losses to Harvard, Trinity and Rochester.
Penn vs. Harvard – Sunday, 1 p.m.
Series History
Record: Harvard leads, 75-3 | Last meeting: February 4, 2018 (Harvard, 5-4)
The Penn-Harvard series has been one-sided, however, in two of the last three years, it has come down to just a few matches. Last season's was the closest as the Quakers fell, 5-4. Two of those losses came in five games in matches decided by a just handful of points.
The Red and Blue's last win against Harvard came in 2016 during the Potter Cup, but the Quakers haven't beat the Crimson in the regular season since 1978-79.
Harvard is an undefeated 8-0 to start the year and have climbed to the CSA's No. 1 ranking. The Crimson have top-10 wins over No. 2 Rochester, No. 5 Columbia, and No. 6 Dartmouth
