Penn Fencing has a tough weekend ahead of it as it faces NYU, MIT, Boston College and Brandeis on Sunday at the MIT Invitational.
Both the men's and women's teams travel north to Boston on Saturday, but will be without sophomore Ben Wieder, who is currently competing in Goteberg, Sweden at the Junior World Cup.
Coach Dave Micahnik said, "junior foilist Corey [Purcell] is a little sick, but that won't affect things particularly. Overall the team is healthy and ready for the meet."
Of this week's opponents Micahnik said, "all have great potential and we cannot afford to focus on a particular rival. NYU and MIT are unpredictable. Some meets they are strong and other meets they don't do as well. Brandeis is not easy, though."
The Brandeis team that Micahnik referred to did exceptionally well last weekend in Providence, R.I. at the Northeast Conference Tournament. The men's team won the Northeast Fencing Conference title, while its women's squad came in second.
But the Quakers' coach is confident that both his men's and women's teams are well prepared for their opponents.
Following Penn's effort last weekend at the Penn State Invitational where both the men's and women's teams finished 3-2, losing to Penn State and St. John's, there appears to be room for improvement.
When asked about last week's results, Micahnik said, "Overall we did well, but our individual technique needs improving. We only look forward."
After the MIT Invitational on Sunday, the Quakers prepare for the Ivy League Tournament.
"There is nothing special we can do for next weekend," Micahnik said. "We know the [Ivy] players and the teams and we look forward to the meet."
Just short of full strength, both the men's and women's teams should be competitive against a stacked lineup of opponents this weekend.
Look for freshman Andrew Bielen and sophomore Matthew Kolasa to perform strong with the sabre. Both recently returned after competing in the Junior World Cup.
On the women's side, senior Katelyn Sherry, who recently returned from injury, and freshman Alexis Baran should compete well in the sabre and epee, respectively.
The results of the meet will be important, and the experience the teams gain before Ivy competition next weekend could prove even more valuable.
