2017-18 Men's Fencing Schedule
2017-18 Women's Fencing Schedule
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's and women's fencing programs have announced their 2017-18 schedules. In addition to an Alumni/ae date that is yet to be announced, the Fords will be at home twice during the fall semester portion of the season with many familiar road trips also on the docket.
The season gets underway on Saturday, October 28 when the women travel to the Temple Open. The men will follow with their bouts on Sunday, October 29. Sophomore Yan Yan Xie will be looking to defend/improve upon his bronze medal from a year ago at that season opening event. Two weeks later, both teams will travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for the first team competition of the season as the Vassar Invitational is set for Sunday, November 12.
Haverford's two home competitions on the schedule will be the Dan Arnstein '09 Invitational and the Holiday/Tri-Co Invitational. The Arnstein Invitational will take place inside the Andy Kates Fencing Salle on Saturday, November 18. Both teams placed second at that event a year ago. The men's Haverford Holiday Invitational and women's Tri-Co Invitational is set for Saturday, December 2 in what will close the fall semester portion of the schedule.
When the team's return for winter training, some of the toughest competitions on the schedule await. Up first will be the Penn State Invitational on Sunday, January 14. The next weekend, more Division I competition awaits at the Philadelphia Invitational on Saturday, January 20. Another always-challenging meet to prepare the team for the postseason is the Sollee Invitational. Hosted by MIT this year, those bouts are set for Sunday, February 4.
The men's postseason begins on Sunday, February 11 with the MACFA "A" vs. "C" bouts which will be followed by the "A" vs. "B" bouts the following weekend. The MACFA Championship, which the Fords came up just bouts short of capturing a season ago, will take place on Sunday, February 25. Haverford ended up finishing third at that event as a team with the sabre squad winning its first weapon championship since the 2005 season.
The women's side begins postseason action on Sunday, February 18 at the EWFC Championship. Two weekends later, the Fords return to action at the NIWFA Championship. Haverford was fifth in the EWFC and ninth at the NIWFA last year but returns both of its All-Star fencers in Alexandra Morrison and Anna Neuheardt from those competitions last season.
The teams reunite on Sunday, March 10 for the NCAA Regional Championship. Qualified fencers will then advance to the NCAA Championships at Penn State which will run from Thursday, March 22 through Sunday, March 25.