A year ago, fencing Rutgers the night before facing Penn would have been like wiping your feet before going into the house. Unfortunately, for the Harvard fencing team, now struggling after three straight Ivy League losses, that is no longer the case.

The Rutgers of this year is no longer the doormat squad that entertained Eastern fencing powers in dual meets a year ago. Already this season, the Knights have unceremoniously dumped last year's Ivy champ Columbia, 14-13. It was the first time in 25 years that Rutgers has topped the Lions, and it is a significant indication of the high calibre of fencing now to be found in New Brunswick, N.J.

And so, for Crimson coach Edo Marion and the rest of the squad, the Friday night match, coming after a five-hour bus ride from Cambridge, will be a serious test instead of a sure-fire win to pad the Crimson record.

Fichter's Problems

Marion will probably go with his regular line-up, with the possible exception coming at number three foil. There, Dave Fichter, who has had his troubles of late, losing three straight 5-4 bouts to Cornell and three more to Columbia, may be replaced by freshman John Wilinsky who has been impressive in J.V. competition. If Fichter experiences the same problems that he has in the recent past, Marion will not hesitate to use Wilinsky.

"I hate to bench a senior," Marion said yesterday, "but if David does not perform better than he has, I may be forced to do it."

Saturday, Harvard takes on Penn, a team that is deep and powerful and now seems to have the inside track on the Ivy title. Already the Quakers have trounced Columbia, 16-11, Cornell, 14-13, and Princeton, 16-11. Penn is 6-1 on the year and 3-0 in the Ivies.

Last year, Harvard pulled off a 14-13 upset over the Quakers at the IAB, as then-captain Geza Tatrallyay turned back standout Quaker epeeman Ernesto Fernandez in the final bout of the match to give Harvard the win.

Well, Fernandez is back, as is Brooke Makler, who has apparently made the transition from epee to foil with little difficulty. Against this one-two punch Harvard would seem to be in for a long Saturday afternoon.