Crimson Fencing Squads Slice SMU

The women's fencing team had trouble early in its match against an inferior Southeastern Massachusetts squad Saturday, as Harvard used complex attacks when direct aggressiveness would have been more appropriate.

But after coming from behind to win in two of their first three bouts, the women started to heed the advice of knowledgeable onlookers. "Keep It Simple, Stupid," the onlookers yelled, and the team kissed SMU goodbye, 15-1.

Real Excitement

As captain Nancy Cooper said after the meet, the point against less experienced opposition is not to "show what an elegant, multi-feinted fencer you are, because then your confused opponent will merely stick her blade out and watch you run onto it."

The point is "to use simple one feint or similar attacks," she said. Learning quickly after a first bout that she won by one point, Cooper swashbuckled her way to a 4-0 record with 5-0, 5-2 and 5-1 victories in her last three duels.

Perfect Record

Cooper's teammates--Celine Larkin, 4-0, Debbie Sze, 4-0, and Kathy Lowry 3-0--also had perfect records.

The crimson's only loss came when Leslie Feder--substituting for Lowry, who aggravated the tendonitis in her kness--lost 5-2.