Sabres cut down M. Fencing, end hopes for Ivy League title

Penn: 1-3 in multimeet

Senior sabreist Dan Vincent began the weekend hopeful that the Penn men's fencing team could defend its Ivy League title. But at the moment when the Quakers most needed a boost from an unlikely source -- the inexperienced sabre squad -- they watched their dream unravel instead.

Penn lost to Columbia, 15-12, because their sabre team failed them. Both the foil and epee squads fenced strongly. Epee finished 5-4 while foil was 6-3. The loss cost the Quakers any chance at the league title.

Vincent provided the Quakers' only victory in the sabre, which was 1-8.

The loss "was very disappointing," Vincent said. "It was personally disappointing because I thought it was the director's fault in one of my [lost] bouts for a bad call.

"We were so close. When it's that close, it hurts even more."

Penn coach Dave Micahnik has been stressing the necessity of balance among the three weapons. The foils have been carrying the Quakers, but they can only get 9 of the 14 points necessary for victory.

"Our Achilles' heel of sabre was very obvious," Micahnik said. "When epee manages to win 5-4 and foil gets six, it's 11.

"We just didn't quite have the firepower."

By losing, Penn (12-5, 2-2 Ivy) allowed Columbia (12-3, 4-0) to complete its 21st undefeated Ivy League season and clinch its second consecutive Ancient Eight crown.

Columbia shared last season's title with Penn and Princeton.

The weekend at Hutchinson Gymnasium was nearly a complete loss for Penn, which won only one of four matches. The Quakers defeated Haverford, a warmup opponent, 24-3. In that match, Penn's foil won nine bouts, sabre won eight and epee took seven victories.

The day didn't get any better for the Red and Blue. After losing to Columbia, Penn suffered a 19-8 defeat to No.2 St. John's. The Quakers stumbled one last time against No.3 Penn State, 18-9.

Even the vaunted foil squad couldn't come up victorious against St. John's or Penn State. They lost against both opponents, 5-4.

"[We fenced] valiantly," Micahnik said. "We were up against [No. 2 and No. 3], and we needed everything to go perfectly in order to win.

"Things didn't go perfectly, but I'm not embarrassed."

With the Ivy League championship out of its reach, Penn looks to this weekend for redemption. The Quakers head to Vassar for the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championships.

"The goal every year is to win Ivies, and we didn't pull it off," Micahnik said. "But it's a winning season, and the season's not over."

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