Penn men’s squash team primed for another run to the national title game

The Penn men’s squash team suffered a 5-4 loss to Harvard in the national championship game in February — a second consecutive loss to the Crimson in the title game.

The Quakers practice in the same building in which they suffered last season’s loss – the Penn Squash Center – training so that this season’s results will be different.

Penn is 8-0 with a 70-2 record in matches and is ranked second in the nation by the College Squash Association. However, the Red and Blue know tougher competition awaits.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Penn coach Gilly Lane said. “The great thing about our group of guys is that they know that. They’ve been very good about taking it one match at a time, one step at a time, and understanding the process.”

Penn looks to continue its eight-game win streak as Ivy League play opens this weekend. They have matches against Cornell (5-0) on the road at noon on Friday and Columbia (1-2) at home at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Seven of the Ancient Eight teams are ranked in the top 10 in the nation by the College Squash Association. Harvard is ranked first, followed by Penn, Princeton and Yale.

Penn hopes its family mentality may finally give the team the edge to finally vanquish its Ivy League rivals.

“We make sure that we put in a good amount of time outside of the court,” senior Saksham Choudhary said. “When we’re playing on the court, we’re not playing just for ourselves, we’re representing 14 other guys. That sort of gives the incentive and the motive to play hard and work hard for each other.”

The players had no choice but to rely on each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. They formed their own bubble, limiting their social contact to just team members, aside from attending classes with masks and other necessary daily activities.

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No one on the team got COVID last season. The result was an Ivy League title, although they fell just short to Harvard in the national championship.

The mental tolls of not being able to hang out with friends as frequently were taxing. Even when home during breaks, the players made sacrifices to stay safe and didn’t go out much.

“It’s going to show up in big matches, where we have that chemistry,” freshman Rehan Luthra said. “We love every single one of each other.”

That family mentality is not only important from a competitive standpoint, but valuable for many international players who left behind their families and home countries. The team includes several players from countries like India, Egypt, England and Canada.

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“We have people from like seven or eight different countries,” said sophomore Roger Baddour from Alexandria, Egypt. “So being in a team where you feel like you’re family is pretty important when you’re transitioning away from being with your own family back home.”

This season, the team boasts an impressive roster of young and experienced talent. Sophomore Nathan Kueh from Malaysia emerged as a star last season, winning Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Kueh’s strong play has continued this season, as he has not dropped a set at 8-0.

The team is most proud of its depth and chemistry.

“It’s on us [the upperclassmen] to make sure that the younger guys feel comfortable on and off court and develop their game consistently,” Choudhary said. “So when we go out there and play bigger schools or go into our Ivy season, I know that I can rely on any single guy in this team to play that deciding match.”

Choudhary is no stranger to the highs and lows of Ivy League squash, as one of the few players who could say they are a conference champion and two-time national champion runner-up.

“Saksham has been part of the most successful era in program history,” Lane said. “That’s not a shocking thing because of the effort and dedication that he puts in, and then that has then rubbed off on everyone else on the team.”

The only thing missing from Choudhary’s time as a Quaker — in which the senior has posted a 35-2 overall record — is a national championship.