Fencing Looks to Right Ship; Faces Air Force, Haverford

Pictured: Freshman Thomas Kolasa and the Crimson prepare to take on Air Force and Haverford.
Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot Photography.

The Particulars:
The Harvard men’s and women’s fencing teams return to action as they square off against Air Force and Haverford at the Brandeis/MIT Invitational in Waltham, Mass. The meet is slated for a 9 a.m. start.

Last Time Out:
The Harvard men posted two victories at the St. John’s Invitational, downing Ohio State and Columbia. The squad fell to No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Notre Dame and St. John’s.  The men’s epee corps won three of the five epee matches, claiming 18 victories on the day. Harvard women dropped all five matches at the event and were without one of its best fencers, Noam Mills, who was competing in a world cup in Qatar.

Scouting the Crimson:
The women’s fencing team enters the weekend with a 7-5 overall record while the men carry a 6-5 mark.

Sizing Up the Competition:
The Air Force Falcons will be competing in their first dual matches of the season. The Falcons have competed in numerous tournaments this year. Most recently, Peter French captured his second consecutive Division 1 Men’s Epee North American Cup. The Falcons are receiving votes in the USFCA national rankings, but are just outside the top 10.

Haverford’s men’s fencing team sports a 9-6 overall record and the women boast a 7-10 mark. The Fords’ roster on the men’s side boasts a pair of seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and five rookies. On the women’s roster, the team is made up of two seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen.

Looking Ahead:
The Crimson will compete in part one of the Ivy League Championships in Ithaca, N.Y. Harvard will face Cornell, Penn and Yale on day one.