Returning standouts look to foil opponents

If the old adage "you play like you practice" is true, then the men's and women's fencing teams can look forward to a very successful 2007-08 season. The squads have been working out in the gym for weeks with their captains, and head coach Zoltan Dudas already likes what he sees.

"One of our strengths is that we really act as a team," Dudas said. "The captains held good practices in the off-season, and now all the athletes have pushed each other to keep working harder and to keep getting better."

Returning all three members elected to the All-Ivy Team last season, the Princeton men have experience on their side. Senior epeeist Tommi Hurme, the team's highest finisher at last year's NCAA Championships, returns to lead a team that has recruited three very talented epee fencers. Last weekend, one of these recruits, Nathaniel Sulat, won the North American Cup junior epee competition in a field of 244 competitors, pushing his national ranking to 10th. Joining him on the list are fellow epee freshmen Graham Wicas and Mike Elfassy, ranked 17th and 24th, respectively.

"Men's epee got the best freshmen recruits in the country ... We have the highest ambitions for our squad, and I think we rival any epee squad in the country," Hurme said.

While men's sabre will count on sophomore standout Thomas Abend to lead the squad to victory, it too has added a highly touted freshman, John Stogin, to its roster.

"We got a great sabrist from the Class of 2011, John Stogin, who'll fence very well for our squad," sophomore sabrist Gregory Hohensee said. "I expect even better results than last year from our men's sabre squad."

In the men's foil, senior All-Ivy team member Douglas Hohensee and sophomore Clayton Flanders will look to improve on last year's respectable finish at the Ivy League tournament. While they have the fewest members, they set their goals high.

"My squad is looking to contribute to the team as best as possible, hopefully winning all of our team matches," Flanders said. "Our team looks to do very well, and I think this may be the strongest overall team we've had in years."

On the women's side, all but one of the key players from last year's team are returning, and the freshman class is expected to more than make up for this loss.

"All the freshmen that we gained this year have had significant results before coming to Princeton," junior epeeist Jasjit Bhinder said. "I am excited to see them be successful at Princeton as well."

In epee, sophomore Chandler Clay and Bhinder will lead a group that was the most talented squad on the women's team last year. While gaining no new recruits, the women are confident they can repeat last year's success.

"The thing that I like about my squad is that we work together to help figure out each others' weaknesses so that we can work through them," Bhinder said. "Because we work so well together I think we will not feel any loss."

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Sophomores Karen Petsche, who barely missed qualifying for NCAAs last year, and Jocelyn Svengsouk, who was named to the All-Ivy team, will lead the foilists. As freshmen they both proved to be dominating forces; with experience under their belt this year, the two could take the team very far into the Ivy League Championships.

In sabre, senior Cara DiGirolamo and junior Jessica Fields will look to build upon last year's promising results. The team improved as the season went on and hopes to continue the positive momentum into this season.

"I think this year's women's team will do very well," Bhinder said. "The girls have started practicing seriously from the beginning. Judging just by this, I can expect only good results from them."

The men's and women's teams both open their season this Saturday and Sunday at the Penn State Garret Open. The weekend tournament should serve as a good indicator of whether the Tigers can pick up from where they left off last year.