With the fate of its season on the line, the Penn men's fencing team journeyed north on Sunday to face both Penn State and Columbia in what was the final meet of the season.
While both meets were undeniably important, the matchup against Columbia was especially intense, given that the Quakers were battling for their 16th Ivy League crown.
"Traditional rivalries always have more meaning than most other meets," Penn coach Dave Michanik said before the meet. "Columbia, however, is the archrival."
With the stage set for yet another classic Ivy League final, the Quakers seemed ready to repeat history by winning the title in the final meet again.
By the time the dust settled, however, the Quakers had been defeated by both Penn State, 19-8, and Columbia, 17-10.
"We could have beaten Columbia," senior foil Andrew Radu said. "At one point, we were a win away from tying the meet."
Throughout the meet, victory always seemed just out of the Quakers' reach.
They made a valiant attempt to stifle the Columbia squad, but in the end the Quakers fell short, allowing the Lions to pull ahead in the final round.
"I think we just didn't have the will to pull through, like we did last year," Radu said.
As disappointing as the loss may be, the Quakers can take solace in knowing that they performed relatively well for such a young team.
"I think everyone had a pretty good idea that this would be a rebuilding year," Radu said.
Despite the lack of experience, the team's individual talent carried the Quakers to a 12-7 season and a 2-2 record in the Ivy League, as well as a No. 7 ranking in the national United States Fencing Coaches Association poll.
Ultimately, though, talent alone could not pull out a win for Penn.
"There were a lot of pleasant surprises individually, but as a team we didn't do as well in the Ivy League as we would've liked," Radu said. "Everyone on the team was strong -- just less consistent than in the past."
The rise in the overall level of competition within the league can also explain this season's results.
"This year, as usual, the foil squad won a lot. In past years, however, the foils would win their bouts 9-0 or 8-1, while this year it was just 6-3 or 5-4," Radu said. "Other teams are just getting stronger."
With that in mind, the Quakers will have to work hard in the offseason to compensate for the loss of Radu.
The two-time first-team All-Ivy foil will be graduating this spring.
However, before they can begin worrying about next season the Quakers will have to prepare for the Intercollegiate Fencing Association championships, which will be held at Vassar College on Feb. 28.
At last year's IFAs, the Penn men's fencing team finished third, behind champion St. John's and runner-up Columbia.
