POUGHKEESPIE, N.Y. – On Saturday, the Haverford College men's fencing team traveled to the Vassar Invitational in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In what was the first dual-meet format competition of the season, the grueling tournament lasted seven rounds for the men, with a bye in the third round as the Fords took on a wide range of opponents.

A challenging first round against division I powerhouse Sacred Heart found the Fords competing well, especially in the sabre, despite a Pioneers' 19-8 victory. The Fords turned that score around on their next opponent, West Point, winning by that same margin. After the bye, Haverford took on host Vassar and picked up a 5-4 victory in foil but was unable to carry that momentum into its other weapons against the host Brewers.

A very strong Stevens Tech team won 18-9 in the fifth round as the Ford's epee and foil were each edged out by 5-4 scores. The Fords showed their resilience with victories against Yeshiva and Hunter. The day's competition also featured a nail-biting win against D1 MACFA rival Lafayette, 14-13. As a season-opening test of the Fords' conditioning, preparation, and mental focus, the tournament was resounding success.

Leading all scorers on the day in familiar fashion was foilist Max Findley, senior co-captain and last season's MACFA individual silver medalist, with a 19-2 record. Sophomore and fellow MACFA medalist (gold) Eric Gardner led the epee squad with a 15-3 tally on his day, while Dan Fries and Ching Li shared the bulk of the sabre wins with 11 and 10, respectively.

Both the men's and women's fencing teams will compete next Saturday, November 15 as they host the Dan Arnstein '09 Invitational in the GIAC. 

Sacred Heart U def. Haverford, 19 – 8
Epée: 7 – 2
Foil: 7 – 2
Sabre: 5 - 4

Haverford def. West Point, 19 – 8
E: 8 – 1
F: 6 – 3
S: 5 - 4

Vassar def. Haverford, 16 – 11
E: 5 – 4
F: 4 – 5
S: 7 - 2

Stevens Tech def. Haverford, 18 – 9
E: 5 – 4
F: 5 – 4
S: 8 - 1

Haverford def. Yeshiva, 20 – 7
E: 7 – 2
F: 6 – 3
S: 7 - 2

Haverford def. Lafayette, 14 – 13
E: 5 – 4
F: 5 – 4
S: 4 - 5

Haverford def. Hunter, 21 – 6
E: 7 – 2
F: 8 – 1
S: 6 - 3