It's that time of the year again.

The first Saturday in February may seem to be nothing more than another day in the month. But for squash fans, its the day of "The Match."

Tomorrow afternoon at Jadwin Gym in Princeton, N.J., the Harvard men's squash team and Princeton will square off in "The Match" for the 53rd time. Harvard leads the series, 39-13, but the advantage cannot capture the bitter closeness of the rivalry.

Harvard has ruled the national squash circuit since its inception as a varsity team in 1922. Princeton did not join the national powerhouse scene until the 1960s.

Last year, Harvard successfully defended its national title with a 6-3 victory at Hemenway Gymnasium. However, in order to defend its 72-match winning streak, the Crimson will have to overcome a strong and experienced Princeton team on its home court and in front of an expected crowd of 800. Some have described the Princeton fans as convicts out on parole.

Any one of Harvard's nine players is capable of beating their particular opponent, Harvard assistant coach Jon Anz said. "The middle of the line-up will probably decide the match. I think we need to take some wins out of the top four. On paper Princeton has the edge, especially with our debilitated line-up."

"It's certainly not out of reach," Anz added. "We've got a real shot to come out of there with a win.

Saturday will be one of the two toughest tests (along with Yale on February 22) in the Crimson's attempt to win its seventh straight national and Ivy League titles.

In the pre-season Ivy Round Robin Tournament in November, Harvard captured a 5-4 decision over Princeton. But both teams will tell you, that was then and this is now.

"Well, as [Harvard women's assistant coach and former Harvard men's] Coach Jack Barnaby once said, `We're going to throw everything at them except the kitchen sink, and then we're going to pick that up and throw it at them too,' Harvard Co-Captain Frank Huerta said. "We're going to give it our best shot. They're solid from one to three, but ours are too. From four to seven is where we can make a break."

A Long, Long Time Ago...

Ironically, Princeton was the last team to defeat the Crimson, capturing a 5-4 decision on February 6, 1982 at Hemenway Gymnasium. Princeton has broken several other Crimson winning streaks over the years.

In 1966, Princeton recorded one of its biggest victories ever. The Tigers captured a 5-4 decision to break Harvard's 47-match winning streak.

Princeton would do it again. Its next win over Harvard, in 1974, ended a 49-match winning streak. The Tigers walked out with a 5-4 victory.

But Harvard returned the favor by capturing a 5-4 decision over the Tigers in 1980, breaking the Tigers' 43-match winning streak.