Swordsmen Eke Out 14-13 Win Over Cornell

Momentum in sports can be quite mysterious. Many things can affect a match, but how often does the beeping of a watch alarm turn a contest around?

With the Harvard men's fencing team trailing, 13 matches to 10, and epee Captain Adam Weintraub facing two match points, his watch rang out. After joking with the referee, saying he had to go somewhere, Weintraub went on to win, 5-4, and help the Crimson (5-5) pull off a spectacular 14-13 come-from-behind victory over Cornell at the Malkin Athletic Center (MAC).

"I knew we were going to win when my watch rang out," Weintraub said. "I knew we were going to come back."

At least somebody was confident, unlike Harvard Coach Branimir Zivkovic, whose expectations were not nearly as hopeful.

"Do you know how many chances [Cornell] had to win?" Zivkovic said. "They were up, 4-1, 4-2 and 4-4 [in three different matches]. Including double touches, that's over nine match points. You tell me the odds."

Worse than one-in-512, coach.

Weintraub's win was followed by another 5-4 comeback by junior Arthur Phillips. Sophomore Dave Saef's 5-2 win in the foil deadlocked the match, 13-13, and all the pressure was directed at Harvard's Tony Loeser.

Despite winning his first two matches of the day with little difficulty, Loeser was nervous.

"Thirteen-all, everything on the line and your team depending on you," the sophomore epee standout said. "You've got to be nervous in that situation."

The final match was a thriller with neither fencer able to gain more than a one-point advantage. And after a double-touch (each fencer getting a point), the contest was even, 4-4.

Twenty-six matches, 217 touches, and over two hours of fencing had left Harvard and Cornell in sudden death.. one touch wins all.

With lightning quickness, Loeser ducked under his lunging opponent and swiped the win with a "reflex touch." Loeser was immediately mobbed by his ecstatic teammates.

"This is what it's all about. Beating a big Ivy rival like this is unbelievable," said freshman Nathan Schmulewitz, whose three wins without a loss in the sabre were a huge lift for the team.

"This is really good for the team," Loeser said. "We've had a lot of bad breaks this season, and this will help us turn it around."

Weintraub and the Crimson can tell you it doesn't take much to swing momentum to your side. Even a timely watch alarm ring can do the trick.

THE NOTEBOOK: Harvard hosts Yale in its final regular-season match Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the MAC.