Swordsmen Slash SMU In First Bout of Year

The Harvard fencing team opened its 1971-72 season Saturday with an impressive 25-2 victory over Southeastern Massachusetts University.

The victory, though not as spectacular as the score might indicate, provided needed experience for the entire Crimson squad.

Last year the Crimson fencers--with All-Ivy selections Larry Cetrulo and Tom Keller--managed only a 22-5 win over the perennially weak Corsairs.

Pacing the Crimson with three victories each were Richard Bougar in epee competition, and Ron Bernstein. David Fichter and Geza Tetrallyay in the foil category.

Tetrallyay, the Crimson captain, generated some excitement with his unorthodox and quite vocal fencing style. Tetrallyay left his stronger event, epee, to fence foil, and handled all three of his opponents easily, allowing a total of only four touches against him.

Free Substitution

Coach Edo Marion's free substitution in the sabre team was the only reason why no sabre man attained three victories. Clearly the strongest performance in the sabre was by junior Terry Valenzuela, who allowed only one touch in two bouts. Valenzuela has shown marked improvement since his freshman year and may be the strength of the Crimson's sabre team.

Gordon Rutledge, Emile Godfrey and Ken Hetzler each picked up two wins in saber competition.

The Crimson epee team provided the surprise of the afternoon. Marion had earlier expressed doubts about this part of his squad because of its relative inexperience. But Saturday the epee fencers came up with nine victories and no defeats.

Ken Bartels, Eugene White and David Moskowitz each contributed two victories in the epee division. Bartels, Moskowitz and White also accounted for three of the eight touch-less bouts recorded Saturday by the Crimson.

Clearly the development of the epee team must be the determining factor in Harvard's quest for an Ivy fencing championship this season.

Southeastern Massachusetts provided little more than a warm-up for the Crimson fencers. The Harvard squad should find rougher going in its match Wednesday against the MIT engineers.