W. Fencing hurting for IFAs

Anyone who attended yesterday's women's fencing practice probably thought they had made a wrong turn somewhere and had ended up at Student Health. Meredith Galto arrived on crutches. Emmy Cho had a large ice pack on her knee. And Olivia Leon was debating between Tylenol and Advil. But come Saturday, it is playoff time for the Red and Blue. And post-season intensity is the best remedy for a team's injuries. Even with a sprained foot, Galto put down her crutches and participated in a full workout. Cho alternated between the epee and the ice pack. And Olivia Leon "had a very good practice," according to Penn coach Dave Micahnik, despite a case of the flu. Yesterday's injuries were just another obstacle in Penn's up-and-down season. Early in the year, the Quakers disappointed themselves with losses at Yale and Harvard. The next week, they were taking trophies from Columbia. But with a heartbreaking loss at Princeton last Saturday, the Quakers (2-3) slid below the .500 mark in the Ivy League. The squad will have a chance for revenge against Ivy League rivals, Yale and Harvard tomorrow, when the Quakers compete in the Intercoastal Fencing Association tournament at MIT and try to finish their roller coaster ride on top. "We should have beaten [Yale and Harvard] the first time," Cho said. "And although they are good teams, we will overtake them." "I'm not going to come out and say I would be pleased if we finished fifth," Micahnik said. "There is a reason why fans in the stands never scream, 'We are No. 2!' . It's no big deal. Of course, we are going to win." This weekend, the Quakers will be without star freshman Tamara Hancock, who continues to suffer from a knee injury. An energetic Liz Cornfield replaces Hancock at epee. "I am not a sub this weekend," Cornfield said. Nor should she be. Cornfield is 8-2 as a substitute in her past two meets, excluding her performance against eastern powerhouse Penn State. "We have had a rough season," Cornfield said. "And we have worked really hard to do well. If we all give it our best shot, I feel that we will succeed. I am excited to fence." Cornfield has already has a history of strong IFA performances. "At last year's IFAs, Liz won all her bouts," Leon said. "And we are counting on her to win all of her bouts again this year. Liz and I both came through in our sections [last year], and we have to do it again." This is the first year the IFA tournament, an Eastern regional fencing championship, includes both team and individual events for the women. Besides Yale and Harvard, the tournament's field includes Cornell, St. John's, NYU, Columbia, MIT and Brandeis. Sunday, the East's top fencers will match up against each other in the individual tournament. Penn captain Megumi Sakae has the best shot of any Quakers fencer to win the tournament. After a slow start, Sakae has been unbeatable as of late. She has won 13 straight matches and is 21-3 in her past two meets. If Sakae, who will likely fence first foil, continues her recent strong performance, and the squad is somewhat healthy, the Red and Blue may not have to settle with chants of "We're No. 2!"