Men's squash to host Franklin & Marshall, Brown

Youth and inexperience were the major concerns for the men's squash team as it began the 2003-04 season two weeks ago. After losing four of the top five players from the nation's second-ranked team a year ago, the Tigers began the season ranked fourth nationally behind Trinity, Harvard, and Yale.

The low ranking and inexperience in the lineup gave hope to Princeton's long-suffering rivals. Two of these optimistic teams were Cornell and Western Ontario, ranked just below Princeton in the national rankings at fifth and sixth, respectively. But the hopes of the lesser teams were quickly crushed by Princeton's power, as the Tigers left no doubt as to their superiority by blowing both opponents away.

Western Ontario fell first, 7-2, as Princeton opened with somewhat laconic, uninspired play. But after a pep talk from head coach Bob Callahan, the team went out and destroyed Cornell, blanking the Big Red by a 9-0 score as only one Tiger player dropped a game.

So Princeton passed its first test of the season with flying colors and solidified its high early-season ranking. If their first performance is any indication, the Tigers will once again battle Harvard and Yale for the chance to dethrone perennial champion Trinity, preserving the large gap between college squash's big four and the rest of the competition.

But before the young Princeton team can take on its most competitive rivals, it must pass another test this weekend, as Brown and Franklin & Marshall come to New Jersey to face the Tigers. Princeton will again put its national ranking on the line, but this time the competition won't be as highly regarded nationwide. The Bears come into Saturday's match ranked ninth, while F&M, who will face Princeton on Sunday, is ranked twelfth.

In its only match of the season, Brown was blanked by a 9-0 count. The Bears played Princeton last year in Providence in an early season match-up, and went down 9-0. A year later, the Tigers hope to repeat that effort.

The Princeton lineup will feature last year's national champion, sophomore Yasser El Halaby, in the top spot. Last season, El Halaby, just a freshman, took out teammate Will Evans '03 in the national finals, and the former diaper dandy will look to repeat that performance this year. But Evans is gone from the Tiger lineup, along with David Yik, Eric Pearson, and Dan Rutherford — all members of the class of 2003 — and so El Halaby will be counted on even more to carry the team this season.

Junior No. 2 Dent Wilkens enjoyed success in his first two matches of the season. Wilkens has been elevated to the second spot after playing at number six last season, and the junior responded with a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the win over Cornell. Wilkens will only get better as the season goes on and he gains experience at the top of the lineup.

Also key to the Tiger lineup will be junior Nate Beck, playing at number five after spending the last two seasons at the bottom of the lineup. As a freshman, Beck's comeback win at the No. 9 spot, carried the Tigers over Harvard for the Ivy League title. Beck will look to produce similar heroics this season, but in a higher lineup spot.

Beck's journey to Princeton is an interesting story, as he grew up in the Netherlands before moving to Concord, Mass., in his preteen years. Fluent in Dutch, the multi-talented Beck utilizes explosive athleticism to overcome more technically advanced opponents on the court. His squash career took off in his high school days at Phillips Andover Academy, and he brings the experience of matches against stiff prep school competition to the court in Princeton.

Beck, who spends his summers canoeing the lakes and rivers of the Canadian wilderness, may have had a soft spot in his heart for Princeton's rivals to the north, as his match was one of only two Princeton losses to Canadian opponent Western Ontario two weekends ago. But Beck rebounded nicely with a win against Cornell, and promises to build on this success this weekend.

The Brown match on Saturday will be followed by a match with Franklin & Marshall on Sunday. The matches are at noon and 1 p.m., respectively, in Jadwin Gym.