Fencers Lose to Columbia

After winning easy matches against Southeastern Mass, and CCNY, the fencing team got off to a poor start against Columbia Saturday afternoon in the IAB, and lost its Ivy opener, 18-9.

It was the twenty-second consecutive time the Lions had defeated the Crimson in a dual match. But this season, it was supposed to have been different. It was to be a rebuilding year for Columbia, and a successful one for Harvard. In the first round, however, the Crimson fencers, somewhat nervous, lost seven out of nine bouts.

Larry Cetrulo, the Harvard co-captain, won the first bout of the match by defeating the NCAA saber champion, Bruce Soriano. Cetrulo, anxious to regain his lost title, out-psyched the startled Soriano and won, 5-3. The fans cheered wildly, and Cetrulo was mobbed by his team-mates. After that, the Crimson never regained the lead.

Both Ken Hetzler and Rick Tolbert, the other Harvard Sabermen, lost their bouts in the first round, never regained their confidence, and failed to win a bout between them for the rest of the afternoon. Columbia led 2-1, as the epee and the foil teams began their competition, using both strips. Co-captain Mickey Irvings, after a brilliant performance against CCNY, lost his first of two epee bouts, and Columbia led, 3-1.

After this loss, the Crimson could have tied the match if two of its NCAA finalists could have won their first round bouts. Fencing simultaneously on the two separate strip?. Geza Tatrallay at epee, and Tom Keller, at the foil, needed to keep their cool to win. Tatrallay was ahead 3-1 against his opponent, let up, and lost, 5-3. Keller needed a touch to win, failed to make it, and lost, 5-4.

"If we had been able to win these two matches, and tie up the score. I think we could have gone on to beat Columbia. But these losses broke us." Coach Edo Marion said near the end of the match Saturday.

Don Valentine provided the other win for the Crimson in the first round. He displayed unusual poise, and was one of only three Crimson fencers to win more than one bout in the match.

In the second round, the Crimson won four of its bouts. Keller, Cetrulo, Tatrallay and Rick Bargar, at epee, picked up those victories and the Crimson, down 12-6, hoped for a miracle in the final round.

It didn't come. Tolbert lost his bout, and Columbia led 13-6, needing only one more bout for a victory. And they got it against the Crimson fencer they love the least-Larry Cetrulo. Cetrulo lost only two bouts all last year, and-against his last Columbia opponent-got careless again. To the Lions, it was the sweetest victory of the afternoon as they carried off Cetrulo's slayer on their shoulders.