The men's fencing team is on the road this weekend but not to just any old match. The Lions (16-1) are going to South Bend, Ind., to compete in the NCAA Championships, March 24-28 at Notre Dame.

After an agonizing two weeks of speculation, the Lions were informed last week that the epee squad qualified for the tournament to complete the set of the men's foil and sabre squads and the women's team. The epee team's qualification was in deliberation by the NCAA committee but the Lions felt confident that they were the most logical choice.

"The epee squad fenced quite confidently all season and we didn't expect any problems," Coach Emmanuil Kaidanov said. "We had an absolutely outstanding season in epee. They earned this spot by the right. They had to qualify at large but we have a convincing, strong record so there should not have been any argument with the committee. Since we are seeded so high also tells that the committee understands our strength."

The men will vie for the championship in each of three weapons and for the men's team championships. They will also combine with the women for an overall team championship. This is the first year the NCAA has been organized this way.

The four squads will be ranked at the end of the competition and points assigned to the teams. The points will be combined of all four squads to determine the overall national champion.

"I have a good feeling about this tournament," captain Jim Marsh said. "It seems to me like everyone has taken the right steps and prepared real well. Our peak is coming."

Marsh, Louis Kun and Geoff Russell will fence epee. Defending national champion Ed Mufel will join with Stephen Gold and Stephen Flores in foil and last year's fourth-place sabre fencer Dave Cox and teammates Ali Rezazadeh and Chris Reuter will compete in sabre.

"We're not scared of anyone," Marsh said. "(And) I don't think they're scared of us, just cautious. Some teams might be looking at us as favorites, but I don't think that's a good vantage point.

"We have to go in with the attitude that we have to fight for everything. We feel we have to prove something -- if we're the underdog, it makes us fight harder."

Marsh is a veteran to the NCAA championships but still gets anxious and a little bit nervous.

"I think about it constantly -- while I'm in class, while I'm studying for a test, while I'm doing the dishes," he said. "I just try to think about it without getting nervous. I'll get nervous in the period of waiting and watching the foil and sabre squads fence. How they fence dictates to the epee team what we have to do to win the championship."

The Lions placed second in last year's competition, losing to Columbia. In previous years they have placed third three times and sixth once. This year, the Lions beat Columbia in regular season and lost only to Yale in a controversial match.

Independently, the foil team lost only to Yale, the epee team to Columbia, Penn and Yale, and the sabre squad went undefeated against the teams going to NCAAs.

Marsh, Russell, Cox, Rezazadeh, Mufel, Flores and Gold will also compete in the individual competition. Mufel is the returning champion from last year's event.

"No pressure," Mufel said as he jumped rope before practice. Last year Mufel was observed as being "overrelaxed," but he just doesn't get nervous.

"It's just the way I am," he said. "I'll think about it when I get there. A few minutes is enough to think about it."

Mufel will again face Columbia's Marc Kent, last year's second-place finisher, but he is not concerned.

"There's a lot more people to be afraid of than just Kent," he said. "You have to be ready and you shouldn't be afraid of anyone. You have to be confident."