After Yale destroyed Princeton, 7-2, the Elis were heavily favored to blast the Crimson. But Harvard clinched the Yale match by winning five of the first six matches, a feat that left the Eli players stunned.

"Looking at the results of our season, including the breaking of the streak and the loss of the national title, an objective observer would definitely conclude that it was a bad year for Harvard squash," freshman Johnny Kaye said. "But realistically, we had a good season considering we lost five of our top players. Congratulations to Yale on their national title, but beware next year."

For the first time ever, there was a post-season national nine-man tournament this year held at Yale. So, with each of the top three teams going undefeated at home, simple logic tells one that Yale would win the tournament.

The Elis defeated Harvard, 7-2, in the semifinals and then recorded a 6-3 win over Princeton to win the post-season national championship. Harvard finished third by beating Penn, 6-3.

"It was a lot of fun, even though we lost the national title by a quirky rule," Huerta said. "There are a lot of great guys on the team. We came up just a little bit short."

Happy as a What?

"How can I sum up five months of pure joy," Polsky said. "I'm as happy as a memora catching a ride on a shark. I'm as content about the year as the mantjac is coming home from a successful kill. It was a year full of joy and pain."

What's even more impressive about the squash team's season was that it was without the services of junior Jim Malsand, who missed the whole season because of a hamstring pull. Masland was projected to play in the top three for the Crimson.

Freshman Jeremy Fraiberg, who was hampered by a groin injury throughout the season, competed in only part of the schedule. Fraiberg was the number-one player on the team before the injury.

Next year, Fraiberg, Kaye, Farokh Pandole, Bernheimer, Jim Masland, Jon Masland, Seth Handy and a talented JV team return to lead the Crimson. Polsky will be taking the year off to study in Italy. Bernheimer and Jim Masland were named captains for the 1989-90 season.

"For all intents and purposes, we graduated six players, with Jim Masland missing the whole year," Fish says. "Despite a good group of freshmen, a huge experience was lost. It was a team that only Jack Barnaby could have led to a national championship. But we came close."

"It felt terrific to be a part of the streak," Fish said. "But you can't improve without losing. Despite an individual coach's ego, the sport is better off when a team doesn't win all the time."

In other words, it's okay to lose once every seven years.