NYU Swordsmen Puncture Crimson Fencers, 17-10

Harvard's varsity fencing team lost to New York University (NYU), last year's NCAA champions, by a score of 17-10 Saturday at the IAB.

"I expected a little better performance," Coach Branimar "Ben" Zivkovic said yesterday. "The team felt the same way."

At the end of the first of three rounds of bouts, Harvard was down 6-3, and after two rounds the score was 12-6.

Luck

"NYU was a little lucky," Zivkovic said. "They had a better day. There was something missing in our team."

The match was preceded by a domonstration of each weapon, explained by Zivkovic.

In the foil event, a fencer scores when the tip of his foil touches the metallic vest worn by his opponent. In the sabre one scores with a touch to any part of the body above the hips. Epee fencers are awarded a point by touching any part of the body with their weapon.

In each of the three weapons, the first fencer to score five touches wins the bout. Each fencer duels three opponents in his respective weapon.

Foil This, Jack

At foil, Harvard co-captain John Major started the match by narrowly defeating the number one foilman from NYU, 5-4. Major ended up with two victories and one defeat for the afternoon by beating NYU's number two man and losing to their number three fencer. Each of his decisions were decided by one-point margins.

Sophomore Eugene Vastola lost two duels at foil number two. Zivkovic called on David McClees to fight the third bout at the second spot, and the junior lost, 5-1.

Junior Eric Mandelbaum also had a tough afternoon, losing two contests. His lone victory was an impressive 5-0 shellacking.

Pretty Sharp

"All three sabremen were excellent," Zivkovic said. Number one sabre John Chipman performed well, winning two of his bouts. He lost his first effort, 5-4, to Nicholas Benedeck, NYU's number one saberman who fenced in highly-competitive Hungary for a year, then came back to annihilate two foes 5-0 and 5-1.

Chris Jennings also won two duels at saber. Jennings, an excellent epeeman as a freshman, is fencing saber this year to balence the team. The senior did not fence his sophomore and junior years.

Russell Graham won one bout at sabre, but showed great promise as a first-year varsity fencer. "Graham should be important to us for next year. We are also expecting him to do well this season," Zivkovic said.

Don Diego

Epee was Harvard's weakest weapon. At number one, Robert Tillman lost two duels. Freshman Robert Kaplan fought the third bout in Tillman's place and was defeated.

Co-captain Matthew Simmons, performing at number two, "really fenced," Zivkovic said. "Everyone should look like that." Simmons won twice and lost, 5-4, to NYU's best epeeman. Eric Reed lost all three of his duels.

"WE could have a pretty good season," Zivkovic said.