Squash: Squads put unbeaten records on the line in New England

The two squads will start the weekend in Providence, R.I., against Ivy League rival Brown. Then, on Sunday, they will square off against Williams and Middlebury colleges in Williamsburg, Mass. Historically, both Princeton squads have fared extremely well against all three opponents, and they will go into the match as the favorites.

The current men’s squash team (2-0 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) started the season with a record nine seniors on its roster, and the veteran squad is looking to win a national championship before graduating. Two weeks ago the team was able to defeat Franklin & Marshall College 8-1 as well as Cornell, which annually gives the men’s team a challenge, 6-3.

The men’s team should make quick work of Brown. In more than 20 years of playing Brown (1-1), the Tigers have not lost a single match and have dropped just three games.

Williams (1-1) should also come as another easy victory for the men’s team — Princeton has not lost a single match to Williams since the 1970-71 season and have only dropped three games has the Ephs in the past decade.

Middlebury will play the men on Sunday. The men’s team soundly defeated the Panthers 9-0 during their two previous matchups. This year, however, the team is extremely young, as it added six freshmen in the offseason.

The women’s team (3-0, 2-0) started this season with a very young team featuring four new freshmen on its roster. Despite the team’s youth, Princeton’s the Tigers’ season began on an extremely strong note, as they have won all three of its matches so far and has dropped only two games against Cornell.

The new team members have already made major contributions, as all four freshmen started in the 9-0 victory over Columbia. In particular, Caroline Feeley has played in the top nine throughout all three games.

The Brown women’s team (1-1) comes into this match having lost 0-9 to Ivy League rival Harvard, though it later defeated Tufts 9-0. Given that Harvard is a team against which Princeton historically does not fare well, it would appear that Brown could provide an unexpected challenge for the Tigers. Brown’s team is inexperienced and added four new freshmen to the team this year.

The Williams women’s squash team (0-2) lost to Stanford and Harvard 9-1 and 9-0, respectively. The Tigers have not lost a single game to the Ephs since the 2004-05 season.

Middlebury will also play Princeton as its fifth game over the weekend. In their previous two matches, Princeton won 9-0 and 8-1. The Panthers added an additional four freshmen during the offseason and lost little senior leadership from last year’s squad.

If history can be a guide, both Princeton squads should be in clear contention to add three more wins to their respective quests for Ivy League and national championships. Both teams will continue the season by hosting Penn in late January.