No cheers in Boston for fencers opponents

Domination: This is the only way to describe the Penn State fencing team's trip to Boston over the weekend. Like a runaway train, it ran over any team in its way.

Both the men's and women's teams won all five of their dual meets. The women improved to 12-0 and the men to 11-0 on the season.

The women started off the weekend Saturday by thrashing all five of their opponents. Their tightest margin of victory was a nail-biting 20 points. They remained unbeaten in every weapon by defeating Brown, Brandeis, Boston College, MIT and North Carolina.

Two freshmen had a particularly good day for the Lady Lions. Alexandra Korfanty went 20-0 in epee. The Portland, Ore., native was forced to pick up the slack after All-American Polo Wagner was unable to make the trip. Filling in for Wagner was sophomore Sarah Schnell, who showed she was more than able by going 9-1.

"The weekend went great for the epee team," Schnell said "I'm really proud of my individual performance, and I hope I can keep it up."

Joining Korfanty among the undefeated was foil fencer Carla Esteva. She also posted a 20-0 record and led the women's foil team as it only gave up four bouts the entire day.

In men's competition Sunday, the Nittany Lions outscored their five opponents by an incredible 95 points. Brown, NYU, Boston College, North Carolina and Brandeis all stepped up to the plate only to strike out. It's been two years since the men have lost a dual meet, and it doesn't look like they're going to falter anytime soon.

The men's foil team was led by the performance of freshman Gang Lu, who rebounded from a few tough losses in the Nittany Lions' first dual meets of the season to go 15-0 for the weekend.

"The foil team, we have confidence to win the title this year," Lu said. "We performed very well in last tournament."

Lu's foil team only dropped two bouts the entire day. Sophomore David Lidow suffered one of those losses, the first of his dual-meet career. Lidow was 41-0 going into Sunday when he lost his last bout of the day.

Epee fencer Tom Peng went unbeaten, winning all 13 of his bouts. Brian Walther had the best day for the men's sabre team, losing only one bout.

"I felt I was much better than the first meet," Peng said. "It was a pretty good day. I was pretty solid."