Crimson Split Its Dual Against NYU

Harvard held its final home match before the NCAA playoffs on Friday, taking on New York University. The women’s team narrowly fell 13-14, but the men finished strong with a 16-11 win at the Malkin Athletic Center.

The women’s team (13-4) battled back from an early deficit to tie the match at 13-13 before the final bout, but NYU (9-12) edged ahead to win by one point. Junior Jessica Zi Jia Guo, a two-time Olympian for Team Canada and the current NCAA Women’s Foil National Champion, led the foil squad with a perfect 3-0 record. Sophomore Madison Duckett also went undefeated in saber, while freshman Emily Jing and junior Kaitlyn Pak each added two wins of their own. Both foil and saber squads finished 6-3, while epee fell 1-8.

“Saber, particularly in five-touch bouts, is extremely unpredictable," Duckett explained. “There’s very little room for error, and many bouts come down to 4-4 situations where the outcome can change in a single action.”

Despite the loss, Duckett remains confident in the team’s ability to bounce back.

“Rather than viewing this meet as a major setback, we see it as an important foundation for the rest of the season,” the sophomore said. “I have complete confidence in the Harvard Women’s Fencing team. We are one of the strongest teams in the country, and with continued work, preparation, and fine-tuning, we have the ability to become champions.”

“We have a strong, resilient group of women who are ready to compete, learn from these experiences, and come back even stronger. Staying on top is difficult, but responding after losses and fighting your way back is even harder,” she added.

The men’s team (12-5) also had a slow start but finished strong to surpass the Violets (9-9). Junior captain Henry Lawson, a two-time All-American, went 3-0 in epee to set the tone early. Sophomore Andrew Chen, who qualified for the NCAA Championships last season, also went undefeated in foil. The men’s foil squad led the team with a 6-3 record, while both epee and saber finished 5-4.

With the regular season over, both the men’s and women’s focuses shift to the postseason. The Crimson will head to New Jersey for the 2026 Ivy League Championships on Feb. 7 and 8.

– Staff writer Amelie Lima can be reached at [email protected]. Follow @THCSports for all of The Crimson’s sports coverage.