Birthday gift for Micahnik?

Penn men's fencing coach Dave Micahnik celebrated his birthday on Monday.

This weekend at the Penn State Open -- though Micahnik will be scouting and not present -- he will get the chance to celebrate again if his team does well against some of the nation's elite teams.

"Coach Micahnik has put in so much dedication to this team," sophomore Chris Lvoff said. "It'd be a great gift to be able to win Penn State for him."

Winning, however, will be an uphill battle. The Open features the nation's top three teams -- St. John's, host Penn State and Notre Dame -- and every Ivy League school except Harvard.

The Quakers will send three sabres, five epees and four foils to the two-day tournament.

"We have a very good foil team," junior Dan Borden said. "Any of [the foilists] has a shot at winning it."

Of those on the foil squad, Penn's hopes lie mostly in sophomores Jeff Breen and Andy Radu, and junior Yale Cohen.

The Quakers also boast a stellar epee squad.

"There are a couple of guys on the epee team [that could win]," Borden said. "Then there are a few wildcards."

Leading the epees will be captain Jim Benson and Scott Eriksen, while the sabres feature senior Dan Vincent.

"[The Penn State Open] is to see how we're doing and see what adjustments we have to make," Benson said. "It's to get a feel for what we're doing right and wrong, and to warm up for the upcoming season."

And, of course, to win one for the coach.

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