W. Fencing looks to declaw Lions in NY

The newly-ranked No. 9 Penn women's fencing team has much to fear entering arguably its most intimidating weekend of the season. The Quakers will face Columbia and Cornell as well as Pennsylvania powerhouses Penn State and Temple at Columbia this weekend. After a loss to Princeton last Wednesday, Penn (13-2, 2-2 Ivy) seems to be out of the running for the league crown. However, beating undefeated No. 5 Columbia (10-1, 4-0 Ivy) would be a boost for the Quakers. "They have a strong team from top to bottom," Penn coach Dave Micahnik said. "It promises to be a very tough meet, [but] we have a chance." At a glance, the Quakers and Lions have similar records against mutual opponents, both dispatching Yale and Stanford by nearly-identical margins. Columbia's biggest threat is its sabre squad, which flaunts a talented pair of freshmen in Emma Baratta and Varonica Padula. The other squads are also formidable, but should be more manageable for Penn. Much like the Quakers, the Lions' foils were stymied by Harvard. With a chance at a split with the foils and a few wins against the sabres, Penn could rest upon its impeccable epees. Although the Ivy title may be out of reach, the Quakers are still battling for individual league honors. After the Red and Blue's bout with Columbia, the Cornell (6-7, 0-4 Ivy) match will also give Penn a chance to cap off an Ivy season with a win. Although the Big Red had a difficult time with Ivy League competition this year, they still are a competent squad boasting strong epees. "We would like to win another Ivy," sabre June Hsu said. Following the Ivy matches, Penn will face Philadelphia-rival No. 7 Temple in a de-facto Big Five championship match. Although the match does not count for league play, the two teams have a strong rivalry based on their proximity. The two teams fight for more than city pride every year, with the winner picking up a plaque with the loser going home with only a spittoon to show for its efforts. While good spirits exist between the two Philly teams, their competition will be fierce as both are battling for individual regional honors. Likely to be fatigued from its long day of tough competition, Penn will face No. 1 Penn State in it's final match on Saturday. With recruited international stars and an impeccable coaching staff, the undefeated Nittany Lions are a perennial thorn in Penn's side. "It is just a matter of getting yourself back together when you need it," Micahnik said. "That is the most difficult aspect of this weekend. There is no time to breathe."

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