Fencing: Different goals this weekend at Duke Duals
By: MATT LOZAR
Sports Editor
After two weekends of facing top competition, the mens and womens squads have two different goals at this weekend's Duke Duals.
The womens team (12-2) looks to rebound from losses the past two weekends to No. 4 Ohio State and No. 1 Penn State. With no top 10 teams on the schedule this weekend, the Irish should be able to address their areas of concern.
"We are doing not bad. I am pleased but not happy," Notre Dame coach Janusz Bednarski said. "We have a lot of work to do. We need to improve the best fencers and get them to win the bouts that they can. We also need to improve the weak part of our team which is sabre, and we are working hard to get this."
The womens sabre team has been the weakness in Notre Dame's two losses this year. In those setbacks, the sabre team went a combined 3-15. Junior captain Destanie Milo missed the Ohio State Duals due to an illness and is still getting back into form. Milo's illness forced Bednarski to use his not-so-deep bench, but they have responded well with an overall record of 97-29, including a 57-15 mark last weekend.
Even with Bednarski trying to build the high team cohesion necessary to win the national championship, current improvements need to be made in a one-on-one situation.
"Each fencer is an individual, and we have individual workouts," Bednarski said. "We talk in training and are preparing them for bouts in high tension situations. "
While the women are attempting to get their confidence back, the mens team (14-0) is trying to avoid a letdown after defeating No. 4 Ohio State and No. 1 Penn State during the past two weeks.
"It is another a problem, but we can't celebrate too long," Bednarski said. "We started training right after the competition which was related with talks about the situation that we can't celebrate too long.
"[Penn State] is a better team than us, but it is good news for us that we beat them."
The toughest competition for the mens team this weekend will come from No. 6 Stanford. Earlier this season at Penn State, the Cardinal lost 16-11 to the defending national champion Nittany Lions. Despite his team having defeated the top-ranked squad, Bednarski knows this match is dangerous.
"They are a top team which always is in the top six in the country. We will check them out because we hear they are pretty strong but not super strong like Penn State," he said. "They are a dangerous team and have big individuals who can take others to victory. We have to be very focused this weekend."
The Irish will be tested by the Cardinal mens foil squad. Junior Mark Mulholland and sophomore Steve Gerbermann each earned All-American honors at last year's NCAA Championships. Gerbermann defeated mens foil captain Ozren Debic for third place 15-9.
Coming into the Duke Duals, the mens team looks to extend its 73-match winning streak, which is currently third longest in school history.
Other schools scheduled to compete in Durham, N.C., this weekend include Air Force, the host Blue Devils, Johns Hopkins and North Carolina.
All Sports Stories for Friday, February 7, 2003
