Since last season's devastating loss to No. 1 Harvard on the final day of the NCAA Championship, the Penn State men's and women's fencing teams have been eager for a rematch.
That time has finally come as the Nittany Lions prepare to face Rutgers, UNC, Princeton and Harvard beginning 9 a.m. tomorrow at NYU.
At the 2006 NCAA Championship, Penn State amassed 159 victories, falling to the No. 2 spot as Harvard claimed the NCAA Championship.
Sophomore Anne Jackson of the foil squad anticipates that the team will perform very well this weekend.
"One of the major schools in fencing is Harvard, the champions from last year, so it's going to be interesting to see how that match comes out," Jackson said.
Tomorrow's meet marks the first regular season competition for the Nittany Lions. The preseason displayed talents from individual fencers on the team, but this weekend will gauge the team's performance.
Head coach Emmanuil Kaidanov said his team has been preparing for this type of competition since the first day of practice this season.
"It's a very specific tournament," Kaidanov said. "It's a dual meet, it has specific character."
Kaidanov also said the competition will include several serious opponents, making it a "tough meet." In addition to powerhouse Harvard, Princeton also holds its ranks among the best universities in fencing.
After a short, but beneficial break, the team is back in competition mode and refreshed from a series of matches last month. Jackson said the team's practices leading up to this weekend have been pretty intense.
"Everyone wants to win really bad," Jackson said. "We came so close last year to Harvard, so everyone is really prepared for this."
According to Kaidanov, Penn State will be handicapped on the men's side this weekend due to the absence of junior two-time All-America saber fencer Franz Boghicev, who is competing in the men's world cup and freshman foil fencer Nick Chinman, who will be added come January.
Still, Kaidanov has confidence in his fencers to exhibit an excellent performance, especially the men's and women's epee, which he sees as the strongest squads on the team.
"It won't be easy but we can beat [Harvard]," he said.
