FENCING: Irish face No. 1 St. John's at NYU this weekend
By MIKE CONNOLLY
Sports Writer
Sunday the hype stops.
Ever since three heralded freshmen stepped onto campus last fall, the Notre Dame fencing team has been blunt when asked about its chances to win the national title.
"I think this team is the best team Notre Dame has ever had," epee captain Anna Carnick said last fall.
"I think we can take gold this year," sophomore Kerry Walton said this week.
When the Irish travel to New York this weekend for a dual meet at New York University, they will have to back their words up with tough fencing. Because although the Irish are talented, they currently aren't the national title favorite. Defending national champion St. John's is. In the latest USFCA poll, the Red Storm hold the top position in both men's and women's while the Irish hold the No. 2 spot in both polls. If this Irish team is going to win the national title, Sunday is its chance to prove it when Notre Dame battles St. John's.
"It will be a good test to see where we are," epee captain Jan Viviani said. "They are obviously one of the teams we are going to have to beat to get where we want to be."
The defending national champs return 10 of 12 starters from the team that ran away with the national title last year including individual national champions Ivan Lee in sabre and Emesa Takacs in epee.
Although St. John's returns a lot of good fencers, it lost two of its best from last year — two-time national sabre champion Keeth Smart and 2000 national epee champion Alex Roytblat.
Although the Red Storm have yet to find a strong replacement for Smart, Arpad Horvath from Hungry has filled in for Roytblat with a undefeated start to the 2002 season.
"Epee is such a strong field," Irish head coach Yves Auriol said. "St. John's has guys that can win the national championship. It's going to be tough competition."
Women's epee will be no easier as in addition to Takacs, St. John's returns the national runner-up for 2001, Arlene Stevens.
At the 2001 championships, Irish junior Meagan Call pulled out two close 5-4 wins against the St. John's duo. Captain Anna Carnick, however, dropped both bouts. The addition of Walton should give the Irish the advantage in 2002. Auriol believes Walton is capable of beating both St. John's fencers.
This dual meet will also mark the debut of freshman foilists Andrea Ament and Alicja Kryczalo. The top Irish foilists did not fence at the opening Northwestern meet because of a conflict with a World Cup event. Auriol said Ament and Kryczalo are the best 1-2 combination in collegiate fencing. This weekend, they will face perhaps their biggest challenge for that distinction — Liz Thottam and Irina Khouade both of whom started the season 12-0.
In addition to St. John's, Notre Dame will also face Columbia, NYU and Yale.
All Sports Stories for Friday, January 25, 2002
