The varsity fencing team surprised themselves and the Cornell fencers as they thrashed the Big Red, 21-6. in Ithaca Saturday.

The match gave the Crimson its first Ivy League win, and some hope that it will not finish the season in the cellar.

"Everything went like oil. There were no frictions, and the team really worked unbelievably well, I was very pleased," coach Edo Marion said yesterday.

The Crimson showed strength at every weapon, taking eight out of nine saber bouts, all but two of the foil bouts and six of the epee bouts.

The Big Red were never in contention, barely winning three bouts in the first two rounds. "Cornell had done well against Princeton and Columbia, but they fell apart against us." Marion added.

Larry Cetrulo, who has yet to meet any stiff competition this season, won all three of his matches against the weak Cornell saber team. Rick Tolbert, at the number two saber, won two of three bouts.

Unorthodox Style

Emil Godfrey. starting for the first time, proved that his unorthodox style could win bouts. Although Godfrey is slow and has some bad fencing habits, his peculiar sense of timing confused the Cornell sabermen, and Godfrey won two bouts. Scott Beckett, who replaced Godfrey in the third round, won a bout.

All-American Tom Keller, who joined the team half-way through the season, had little difficulty adding three more victories to his record. In his last four bouts, he has lost only once.

Captain Cliff Ruderman and sophomore Gill Castle each won two bouts at the foil.

Mark Irvings reversed his performance against Brandeis and won three bouts at the epee. The three victories raise his Ivy record to 9-3, almost assuring him of a position on the All-Ivy team.

Did Not Penetrate

John Reitz, who won two matches against his Big Red epee opponents, still disappointed Marion. "He was too short, he did not penetrate enough. It is not how you fence, it is how you come in," Marion said of Reitz's fencing style against his Ithaca opponents.