Fencing: Top-ranked Nittany Lions tamed by No. 2 Irish
By MATT LOZAR
Sports Editor
After going 9-4 in his first collegiate bouts last weekend, junior sabre Brian Dosal came into this weekend's match against No. 1 Penn State with realistic hopes.
"I didn't expect to win at all," the second-year fencer said. "I got lucky and when I got some momentum, it really fired me up."
Sometimes the best surprises come with no expectations.
Using Dosal's two upset wins, the second-ranked Irish mens fencing team defeated the top-ranked Nittany Lions 15-12 to made their claim for the top spot in the country.
"He started almost fencing with us like a walk-on and had a little skill but not much," Notre Dame coach Janusz Bednarski said. "He is progressing very quickly."
Dosal dropped his first bout 5-0, and his next one wasn't looking promising with talented freshman Marten Zagunis on deck. Dosal surprised everybody by posting a 5-3 victory, and by following that win with a 5-3 win over Noah Jacobson.
"It feels great. They didn't expect me to do it, so doing it makes the whole season worth it." Dosal said. "I definitely can compete at that level. It is only five-touch bouts, but I feel I can steal away a couple which can make the difference [in future matches]."
Gabor Szelle and Matt Fabricant also posted individual 2-1 records against the Nittany Lions to the give the Irish sabre squad a collective 6-3 record. Fabricant defeated two-time All-American Amir Rahimi 5-4 and Szelle also beat Zagunis 5-4.
The mens epee team also went 6-3 against Penn State and was led by senior captain Jan Viviani's 3-0 record. Viviani and sophomore Michal Sobieraj each won crucial overtime matches.
Mens foil compiled a 3-6 record that was highlighted by sophomore Derek Snyder's 5-4 win over current NCAA Champion Nonpatat Panchan.
While the mens team was able to knock off the top-ranked team in the country for the third straight season, the womens team couldn't complete the upset, losing to Penn State 16-11.
"This is not unusual with such close rivals clashing with each other. It is good for us because it is good training, a lot of good bouts and we can see how it will be in the future." Bednarski said. "Our fencers fenced very well. I am happy, not really happy, but happy."
The womens foil team was the only weapon to post a winning record against Penn State, going 5-4. Sophomores Andrea Ament and Alicja Kryczalo each went 2-1. Kryczalo dropped only her third collegiate match and is now 60-3 in her two-year career.
Senior captain Anna Carnick was the only womens epeeist with a winning record against Penn State. Her 2-1 record was highlighted by a 5-4 overtime win over All-American Jessica Burke.
Despite going 57-15 for the weekend, the womens sabre team was only 2-7 against Penn State. Junior captain Destanie Milo was competing in her first competition of the year so Bednarski is not too concerned just yet.
"Against Penn State I think she could get more victories but she has had a health problem almost since December," Bednarski said. "She just started training a couple of days ago and I was a little concerned with her physical condition."
"We have time to work but it will be tough for her with the competition being very good."
With the national championship awarded to the highest combined team score, Bednarski is trying to build a team-first attitude, and that was evident when he gathered the team together before the Penn State showdown.
"We are trying to build a team during the season. They responded very well. They started to work as a team," Bednarski said. "There is no position they are in where they only care about fencing for themselves. They care about the team."
Notes:
Overall for the weekend, the Notre Dame mens team won all eight of its dual matches and improved to 14-0 on the season. The eight wins extends the third-longest winning streak in school history to 74 regular-season matches. The womens team went 7-1 and is now 12-2 this year.
Szelle is now seventh on the career wins list after an 18-3 weekend. He is 162-11 in his career. Carnick went 13-3 and now has 167 career wins, which ranks her fourth on the womens epee wins list.
All Sports Stories for Monday, February 3, 2003
