No. 10 W. Fencing set for No. 5 Princeton

It's go time. Tonight at 7:30, the No. 10 Penn women's fencing team will go head-to-head with No. 5 Princeton at Weightman Gymnasium. After being dealt a close loss by Harvard, the Quakers face a virtual must-win against the Tigers, who lost to undefeated Columbia two weeks ago. Fresh off of another 4-0 weekend, Penn is primed for tonight. The Quakers' training has been centered on making them peak for tonight's match. And preparation may make all the difference. Last year, Penn (13-1, 1-1 Ivy) lost a devastating 14-13 meet in New Jersey. But this year, the team has more going for it. The home-turf advantage will provide support -- a factor which has proven pivotal to inspiring the team's younger phenoms. "We have energy," Penn captain Kimberly Linton said. "We are more dynamic. This team dynamic is what helps us out and helps us win matches." Right now, anything to push the margin will help. Over the last three years, two of the Penn-Princeton matches have been decided by a score of 14-13 and each time the home team has emerged victorious. Not only does Penn come in with strong new faces, Princeton's entire epee squad from last year has graduated and been replaced by three freshmen. Princeton's strong foil squad includes stars Mindy Rostal -- who returned this season after missing last year -- and freshman Jacqueline Leahy. The Quakers should have close bouts at foil, pitting sophomore Emanuelle Humblet, freshman Christina Kaneshige and freshman Ekaterina Napalkova against the Tigers. But if the two other squads fence evenly, the match is clearly in favor of the Red and Blue in the sabres. The red-hot sabre team has made a difference the entire season and is bound to continue improving, especially with June Hsu beginning to peak after an impressive 8-1 showing over the weekend. But the team must win this meet as a whole. "We're pretty solid," Hsu said. "[But] it's a whole team effort." "If people are confident and fence well, it is possible," Penn coach Dave Micahnik said. "We'll find out where we stand." With a win over Princeton, Penn will be in position to continue a run at the Ivy League title, with only undefeated Columbia remaining in contention. The Lions dispensed of Yale over the weekend. If the Quakers can tame the Tigers, they will be in position for a title bout with Columbia.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.