Harvard's fencing team, riding a nine-match winning streak and seeking its highest finish ever in the Ivy League, travels to New Haven today to face a surprisingly strong Eli squad.

The match is the most important of the season for the Crimson, with both second place in the Ivies and the Big Three championship at stake.

Harvard possession of the Ivy runner-up slot hinges on the Crimson's performance this weekend. Harvard, with a 3-1 Ivy record, is second only to Columbia this year, However, Yale is right behind with a 2-2 mark, and Penn has finished League competition at 3-2. If the Crimson wins today, Harvard is sole loses, the Crimson fencers will drop into a three-way tie for second.

With a 14-13 victory over Princeton to its credit, the Crimson can sew up the Big Three Championship with a win over Yale. The title has not rested in Cambridge in recent years. The Crimson last won it in 1970.

Harvard traditionally has had little trouble with Yale in fencing. In the last eight years, the Bulldogs have managed but two wins. Last year the Crimson disposed of them, 17-10.

Bestin 11 Years

This year Yale has amassed its best record in 11 years. The Elis are 8.4 and have already recorded upset victories over Princeton and CCNY, Yale is also seeking its highest finish in the Ivies since 1961.

The Bulldogs are led by a strong sabre squad, featuring captain Rossi Snipper, Dave Jacobson and Steven Bloum. Between them, Snipper, Jacobson and Bloum have won 67 bouts while losing 40.

Despite the strong showing of the Yale sabre squad this year. Crimson coach Edo Marion does not feel that the Eli will be a match for Harvard in the event.

"Our sabre team should be a dominating factor in New haven." Marion said yesterday, "because Yale really is not on a par with us in that weapon."

Harvard should have a distinct advantage in foil and epee. Yale is led in foil by Larry Smolley, but the calibre of the foil men drops drastically after that. In epee, the Crimson should have a field day. Yale Sports Information describes the Eli foil team as "our weakest link," and Geza Tetrallyay, Ken Bartels and Eugene White should find little opposition to total domination.