Women's fencing primed for strong finish

The women's fencing team may not be the most visible athletic group at Tufts -- they play all their matches at other schools and typically practice late at night -- but the squad has certainly put its opponents on notice with an excellent season. The Jumbos have gone 16-9, winning a dozen matches by double digits andlosing six by seven points or less (they have also forfeited once). Their season has been defined by big wins and close losses, and considerably more of the former than the latter.

"The team is looking really strong this year," senior epee captain Flora Lang said. "Especially considering we've lost almost a third of our members since last semester."

Tufts started its season strong on Nov. 9, winning six of eight at the Vassar Invitational. Its next match was the last of the fall semester, a Dec. 5 blowout loss at No. 7 Harvard that senior sabre captain Sarah Innes-Gold cited as a turning point in the season.

"I have seen a lot of improvement in our team's performance compared to last semester," Innes-Gold said. "We left for winter break on a low note following a loss to Harvard and several injuries. This semester, we've had a lot of success and each meet has brought improvements. I have high expectations for next weekend's multi-meet."

Tufts returned from the break well-rested and eager to get back on track. Despite losing nearly a third of its members to injury, study abroad, and other commitments, the Jumbos have managed to go 10-6 this semester. After going a perfect 4-0 at the Jan. 25 Wellesley Invitational, Tufts will go into this Saturday's multi-meet at Dartmouth -- re-located after originally being scheduled at Smith College -- buoyed by momentum.

"The Wellesley Invitational last weekend was probably the highlight of our season so far, with the team as a whole going undefeated against all four schools and the foil squad performing the best they have all year," Lang said. "Also last weekend, we had the opportunity to fence against Vassar for a second time, with sabre captain Sarah Innes-Gold facing off against her [first-year] sister Annie Innes-Gold and coming out victorious after a defeat earlier in the season."

Following the Dartmouth meet, Tufts will return to Vassar, where it kicked off the spring semester on Jan. 18, to compete in the NEIFC Championships on Feb. 21. Then it's on to the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship at NYU, where the Jumbos will wrap up their season on March 8. As the finish line nears, Tufts is focused on getting better and ending the season on a high note against challenging competition.

"Going forward, specifically for the Dartmouth Multi-Meet, we hope to strengthen both our team and individual records on our way to regionals, ensuring that as many people qualify as possible," sophomore Anna Gooch said. "We have a chance to fence some tough schools for the second time this season [the first being at Vassar's aforementioned Fencing Challenge], so it will be great to see how we have improved since last fencing them."

For Innes-Gold, Dartmouth is another chance for the team to test its mettle against top competition.

"I think the most important thing going forward is for us to stay focused during long multi-meets, learn from our mistakes, and maintain energy and effort, especially during close bouts," Innes-Gold said.

Though the Jumbos are excited to prove themselves and test their skills against tough opponents, they are also sad to see their successful season come to an end.

"I have loved seeing this great group of women get closer this year, which I think has made us better fencers," Gooch said. "That said, we look forward to a successful and enjoyable remainder of the season."