Two undefeated teams will clash next Saturday afternoon in the Hemenway Gymnasium when the Harvard and Yale fencers meet. Comparative scores would indicate the closest match in many years. Both teams have had unusually successful seasons, Harvard's having won all of its eight matches, and Yale having been victorious in its three contests. But all of Yale's victories have been over strong, experienced teams, while several of Harvard's matches have been against comparatively weak teams.
In the first meet February 25, Yale defeated the Navy fencing team, unbeaten in a dual collegiate meet for sixteen years. In the next match Yale defeated Columbia 10-7, which two weeks before Harvard had also beaten 7-4. The next match also shows the closeness between the Harvard and Yale teams. Last Saturday Yale defeated the Army 9-8, which the Crimson had also beaten 7-6 on March 5. Outside of the regular schedule, Harvard defeated the J. Sanford Saltus 9-4, while Yale split even in its two matches with that club. The excellence of the Yale team is shown by the fact that it won second place in the Senior National Three Weapon Team Competition, in which all of the important New York club teams were entered. Yale was the only college team to qualify for the competition.
The only advantage the University team can be said to have, lies in the psychological effect of fighting on its own ground. The Crimson fencers have also had more actual match practice than the Yale foilsmen, having played eight matches to their opponents' three.
Tomorrow Yale will meet Dartmouth, which the University team defeated 9-0. The result of this match will add further light on next Saturday's match.
"The result is absolutely uncertain" was the verdict of Captain E. H. Lane '24, when questioned as to the outcome of the Yale match. "Yale has a better balanced team, both in the epee and in the foils, while our team has perhaps had more experience."
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