Jan. 26, 2013
QUEENS, N.Y. - The Penn State fencing team traveled to Queens, N.Y. to compete in a one-day event that put them up against five top ten ranked teams, and served as one of their toughest tests of the season. The men's team went undefeated with a record of 5-0, which makes them unbeaten in NCAA competition so far this season. The women fought hard throughout the competition and finished the day with a 3-2 record.
The Nittany Lions' first dual of the day was against a tough Harvard team. The second ranked Penn State men defeated No. 6 Harvard by a score of 18-9. Both the foil and epee teams defeated the Crimson 7-2. The fifth ranked Penn State women's team was able to barely edge out No. 8 ranked Harvard by a score of 14-13. Both the saber and epee teams dropped their bouts 4-5 against the Crimson, but due to the foil team's 6-3 win the Nittany Lions were able to come out victorious.
Penn State then faced a high-ranked Notre Dame team. The men cruised to a 19-8 victory over the No. 3 Irish, highlighted by the saber squad's 9-0 performance. The women struggled against the No. 2 ranked Irish, and dropped their first dual of the day 9-18.
The Nittany Lions then took on host St. John's. The men fought hard to get a 15-12 victory over the No. 5 Red Storm. Both the foil and epee teams went 6-3 against St. John's. The women's team also came out on top by a score of 15-12 over their No. 6 ranked opponent.
The fourth dual of the day was against Columbia. The Penn State men battled to a 16-11 win over the No. 7 Lions, due in large part to the saber team's impressive 8-1 performance. The women beat the No. 3 Columbia team by a score of 15-12, which was a bright spot on the day. The Penn State women had lost to Columbia just two weeks ago at home 12-15. Both the epee and saber teams were able to pull out wins this time against Columbia.
The Nittany Lions finished the day against their toughest competition and the reigning national champions, Ohio State. The men's team had an impressive victory over the No. 1 Buckeyes with a score of 17-10. Both the foil and saber teams had outstanding performances to lead to 7-2 records. The Penn State women dropped their second dual of the day to the No. 4 Buckeyes, 11-16. The saber team, led by team captain Jessica Russo, was the only women's squad to defeat the Buckeyes, and did so by a score of 5-4.
Going into the day, the Penn State men's foil squad was at a disadvantage because it would be competing without two of its stars: Olympian Miles Chamley-Watson and All-American David Willette. However, the foil team was the only Penn State squad to finish the day undefeated. Brothers Daniel and David Gomez-Tanamachi, along with Junior Jeremy Goldstein, were able to lead the squad to victory. Although the women's team struggled, former National Champion Margherita Guzzi-Vincenti continued her successful season with a 13-2 record for the day. This brings her season record to an impressive 37-5.
Next up for the Nittany Lions will be another NCAA meet on February 9. The team will travel to Durham, N.C. to take on MIT, Air Force, Notre Dame, UNC, and Duke.