The Northwestern fencing team knocked off three club teams and one varsity opponent in a five-team dual meet Saturday at Patten Gym to move to 15-1 on the season.

The Wildcats used the opportunity of facing club teams to give some of its beginning fencers competitive experience. None of the team’s star fencers appeared in the duals against Minnesota or Purdue.

When the top fencers did enter competition later in the day, they had no trouble defeating Chicago or Lawrence, the only other varsity squads at the meet. The Cats dominated those duals 25-2 and 23-4.

The Cats, ranked sixth in the country in the current NCAA coaches poll, won 94 of their 108 bouts on the day, dropping no more than five to any single opponent.

“I think it’s a testament to the program that we can start people that are not on scholarship and only let up a couple bouts the entire day, ” team captain Lynn Zuckerman said. “Everybody’s just a little bit prouder today knowing that people who walked on at the beginning of the season were able to walk away with some wins.”

Assistant coach Ed Kaihatsu said that competitive experience is key for beginning fencers.

“I saw some of them fencing better within a single bout,” Kaihatsu said. “It’s important to know what it feels like to make changes during the course of a bout.”

Freshman foilist Julie F