Going into the 1986 season, the nation's top-ranked Harvard men's squash team knew that its toughest challenges would be Franklin & Marshall and Princeton.

So far so good: the racquetmen disposed of F&M, 7-2. The Diplomats (8-1) are currently ranked number two, after a 6-3 victory over Princeton.

Meanwhile, the Crimson (6-0) faces its second challenge this afternoon, when it travels to Princeton's Jadwin Gymnasium. The racquetmen will be facing their Ivy league rivals, the Tigers (3-1), and 600 screaming fans.

Those 600 fans are only fitting, because the Crimson will be looking for its 600th career victory (after 63 years of intercollegiate competition).

"It's like a zoo down there," Harvard Co-Captain Joe Dowling said. "The fans are screaming, blowing horns, throwing things at you, and they are constantly heckling. The fans are so loud, and they cause a lot of trouble."

As usual, Princeton looks to be a major obstacle in Harvard's path toward its fifth straight Ivy and National team championships.

"Our match against Princeton is like the Harvard-Yale football game--anything can happen," Crimson Assistant Coach Peter Dinneen said. "It's the most intense rivalry in squash."

In last year's contest, the heavily favored Tigers captured the first and last matches. But sandwiched between Princeton's two victories were seven convincing Crimson wins.

Last year also marked the fiftieth meeting of the two arch-rivals. Harvard's triumph upped its series lead to 37-13.

"We are definitely favored to win, but we aren't going to take anything for granted," Crimson senior Greg Lee said.

Tigers on the Prowl

Two of Princeton's 13 victories over Harvard have proved significant--they've broken Harvard winning streaks.

In 1966, with the Crimson riding a 47-game winning streak, the Tigers slipped out of Hemenway Gymnasium with a 5-4 victory.

And in 1974, Princeton mastered the Crimson with yet another 5-4 triumph, snapping a 49-game Harvard winning streak.

When Princeton beat the Crimson, 5-4, back in 1982, its victory did not break a spectacular Harvard winning streak. However, that game was significant for another reason--it was the last time that the Crimson lost. Since then, the racquetmen have triumphed in 53 straight games.

What Goes Around Comes Around

The racquetmen defeated and overly confident Tigers squad, 5-4, to end the Tigers' 43-game streak in 1980. And Harvard has won its last four contests against Princeton, 7-2,8-1, 6-3 and 7-2.

Harvard's number-one player, Darius Pandole, points to the squad's depth as its biggest advantage. "I think that's going to make the big difference," Pandole said.

The most interesting match will come when the nation's number-two collegiate squash player, Princeton's Keen Butcher, squares off against Pandole, currently ranked third in the country.

"Darius is a great shooter," Butcher said. "He's a power-and touch player."