In October, with its season in front of them, the Penn State fencing team had only one goal in mind.

"We want to win, we want to get the championship back," captain Stephanie Eim said at the time.

Daniel Landgren, the other captain agreed, saying, "We want to bring the title back home to Penn State after St. John's borrowed it for a year."

Five months later, the fencers are poised to accomplish their goal and win a seventh national title in eight years.

The Penn State fencing team begins competition today at Drew University in New Jersey as the women take the strip, while the men will start on Saturday. The fencing NCAA title has been a combined championship since 1990, meaning it's based on both the women's and men's performances.

Last season, the Lions battled injuries, and only qualified 11 competitors for the tournament. Despite some excellent individual performances, the team fell by just eight points to St. John's, ending its incredible string of six straight national titles.

The fencers came back strong this season, as the men went 16-0 and the women went 17-1 in regular dual meets. In the final United States Fencing Coaches Association poll of the year, both the men and women achieved their highest rankings of the season at No. 2.

At the NCAA qualifying tournament two weeks ago, the fencers dominated the competition, finishing at least two athletes in the top eight at every position. They accomplished what they weren't able to do the year before and qualified the maximum 12 fencers, two at every position.

The fencers enter this weekend's competition as one of the favorites. They are strong all across the board, with two accomplished fencers at every position.

Penn State, St. John's and Notre Dame, the three top teams in the country, are all very evenly matched, with rankings flip-flopped between the men and the women.

The Lady Lions are perhaps strongest in the epee. Eim has finished in the top four at NCAAs each of the last three years, and will be looking for her first individual title this weekend.

"I think we're ready," Eim said. "We've done all the work physically, now it's time to get into the game mentally."

Junior Jessica Burke was the NCAA champion two seasons ago, but was unable to compete last season due to injury. The Lions were inexperienced and unable to fill her spot at Nationals. Now she is healthy and looking to regain her past form.

Women's foil will be represented by returning All-American Marta Grochal and freshman Meredith Chin, who has had a very successful rookie campaign. Grochal has been hurt for much of the season, but is healthy now.

"Regardless of how we do, I'm so proud of what this team has accomplished, how hard we worked this year," Chin said.

Penn State will send two All-Americans back to NCAAs in women's sabre as senior Stephanie Tam and sophomore Heather Brosnan compete.

The men's team won't start competing until Saturday, but the entire team went to Drew yesterday to support each other.

All-Americans Landgren and Adam Wiercioch will compete for the Nittany Lions in the epee. Landgren, like Burke, was the individual champion two years ago, and will be looking to reclaim the title in his last year of competition.

"I think we will do very well," Landgren said.

"If we fence like we did at regionals, we'll take it home again."

Men's foil will be represented by sophomore Non Panchan and freshman Ian Schlaepfer, who performed very well in his first year of collegiate fencing. Panchan finished second last year at NCAAs, and is eager to see if he can improve.

First-year sabre star Alex Weber, arguably the favorite, and All-American Amir Rahimi round out Penn State's competitors at this year's national championship.

Penn State head coach Emmanuil Kaidanov has huge amounts of confidence in his team, but isn't about to pull a Jim Fassel.

"I don't like predictions," he said. "We'll do our best, and whatever happens, happens."