While the Harvard men's squash team shoots for its sixth straight Ivy and national championships, the Harvard women's squash team is looking forward to capturing its second straight Ivy and national titles.

The Crimson opened the season with a 9-0 thumping of Bowdoin last week.

Women's Squash

1986-'87 Overall: 7-0

1986-'87 Ivy League: 5-0 (Ivy Champs)

Captains: Diana Edge, Lucy Miller

Harvard, Yale and Princeton are the early season favorites to win this year's crown. Since the Ivy championship was established in 1983, the Crimson has captured the title three times while the Elis have snagged the other two.

"We have the potential to repeat last year's performance," Harvard Co-Captain Diana Edge said. "We can be undefeated again, but I don't think we can rest on our laurels."

"Position for position we're just as good as any other team," Edge said. "We have to continue working hard as we can."

Since 1983, the racquetwomen have posted a 22-3 Ivy League record and an 29-3 mark overall. Last year, the team not only went undefeated in season play (7-0 overall, 5-0 Ivy), but also recorded four shutouts (over Bowdoin, Brown, Penn and Dartmouth)--and won 56 individual matches while dropping only seven.

"We want to win the national and Ivy championships," Sheila Morrissey said. "The team is a little weaker than last year, but we have a little more depth."

Harvard also won the Howe Cup Tournament held at Yale, capturing the seven-women national championship title for the third time since the honor was initiated in 1976.

The 1987-'88 Crimson is a young team. Co-Captains Edge and Lucy Miller are the only seniors on a squad which includes four sophomores--Jenny Holleran, Marianna Chilton, Mary Cist and Grace Sheffield--and junior Morrissey.

Frosh

Freshmen Daphine Onderdonk and Stephanie Clark have both cracked the starting ladder, playing sixth and seventh respectively.

"We have a lot of depth," Miller said. "Our top four and five players have a lot of experience. We're all fairly close in ability."

"Our goals are to continue to work as hard as we can," Harvard Coach Steve Piltch said. "and let each match take care of itself. It should be a real competitive season. Princeton, Yale and Penn are stronger than last season."

"I feel we have a bunch of great women," Piltch said. "Diana and Lucy are not only good players, but they are also good leaders."

"Our underclassmen have been through it before," the second-year coach said. "Many of them played in the top six last year, and doing so again this season. We have a couple of freshmen who look like they have real promising careers ahead of them."

Piltch also pointed to the fact that his players from 8-12 are all pretty much even. Grace Sheffield, Mary Cist, Lynn Swett, and Sarah Bayliss will vary up and down the line-up during the rest of the season.

Harvard is also looking forward to return of Liz Reynolds and Emily Knowlton next semester, both of whom took off the fall semester.

"I'm really excited about this team," Piltch said. "We have some fine squash players, a real great group of people. I'm looking forward to the season."