After nearly a month's rest, the Crimson fencing team returns to competition against an Ivy foe it would love to defeat, the Columbia Lions. The match begins at 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon on the main floor of the IAB.

The Crimson lost to Columbia last year, 16-11, in a badly-fenced match in New York for its twenty-first consecutive loss. According to Crimson Captain Larry Cetrulo, this time will be different. "We have the horses this year, and we have desire. As far as I'm concerned, this is the match of the year," he said yesterday.

The Lions will be no easy prey for the Crimson. They placed second in the Nationals last year, and Bruce Soriano, a brilliant saberman, returns from that excellent team to lead an experienced saber contingent against the Crimson.

Columbia also has a strong foil team, but its epee squad lacks depth and experience.

No matter who wins, this should be the best exhibition of fencing that Crimson enthusiasts will see at the IAB. At saber, Cetrulo faces Soriano, a fencer as good as himself. Tom Keller and the Columbia foilers will exhibit nearly faultless fencing. And Geza Tattrallay, who fenced with Cetrulo and Keller at the NCAA's two years ago, makes his 1970-71 debut with his unorthodox, but winning, fencing style.

Cetrulo, Keller, and Tattrallay, along with the rest of the Harvard fencers, are the strongest Crimson team in perhaps 22 years.