Men, Women Fencers Flaunt Superior Depth In Weekend Matches With Tufts, Purchase

The men's fencing team flaunted its impressive depth as well as the strength of its foil and sabre teams in a pair of seasoning meets held in the IAB this weekend.

The swordsmen effortlessly sliced through their lesser opponents, taking a four-on-four foil meet against Tufts, 10-6, and a three-weapon match with Purchase, 21-6.

Practice Makes Perfect

Sure of a win, coach Ben Zivkovic used the meets to give many of his lower-ranked varsity and j.v. fencers some practice and a chance to work out their games.

Overall the Crimson performed very well, with the sabre squad taking all nine bouts against Purchase and a heavily j.v. foil team going 7-2.

The epee squad faltered somewhat, chalking up a slim 5-4 victory over Purchase, and calling into question the team's depth this year.

Southeastern Massachusetts University (SMU), originally scheduled to face the Crimson on Saturday, walked away from the strip after a dispute about the number of directors (referees to the uninitiated). Though challenging only the scheduled men's sabre match, SMU withdrew its entire squad--men and women--from the meet.

The swordswomen, who at the start of the weekend planned to fence three meets, found their matches pared down to only one. Soon after SMU cancelled the team meet. MIT called off its annual Christmas Invitational because of the snow. The individual competition will probably not be rescheduled because, as team captain Carolyn Powell pointed out, most of the teams scheduled to attend are now entering final exams.

Nevertheless, the swordswomen did win the one meet they fenced, foiling Tufts, 9-7. in a combined varsity-j.v. match.

The Crimson sword squads will face Brandeis, Brown and the University of Rhode Island next week, then take off for a few weeks' rest before a packed schedule early next year.