POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The men's fencing team participated in the Vassar Invitational, marking the inaugural team tournament of the 2023-24 season. The Fords achieved their best result in several years, triumphing over the host Brewers with a close score of 14-13. Additionally, they secured victories against Denison, Wagner, and MACFA rivals Hunter, Cornell, and Drew. However, the only setbacks of the day occurred in the last two rounds, facing formidable opponents in DI foes Yale and Sacred Heart.

With three of the Fords' triumphs secured by a nail-biting 14-13 count, each weapon squad demonstrated its prowess at different crucial moments. Foil's decisive victory against Cornell, 7-2, proved instrumental, salvaging the day as epee and sabre faced challenges against Big Red. In the match against Drew, a spirited Ford sabre squad led with a 6-3 record, providing crucial support for the struggling foil and epee squads. Although Vassar's foil strength posed a challenge, the epee and sabre squads stood firm, contributing to the overall victory. Despite the narrow team losses to Yale and Sacred Heart, there were silver linings, including an epee squad victory over the Bulldogs, 5-4, and a foil triumph over the Pioneers, 6-3.

The sabre and epee squads showcased clear aces on the day, while the foil starters equally carried their weight. Sabrist Lucas Winkler led all fencers with a remarkable 18-3 record, including an impressive seven wins at 4-4 to only one loss (bouts go to five touches). Epeeist Eric Chen continued to astound with an acrobatic 16-5 record, matching Winkler's 7-1 record for wins at 4-4. Foilists Michael Pyo, Andrew Strayer, and Henry Fedonchik operated seamlessly, accumulating 15, 14, and 13 wins, respectively. Pyo demonstrated his resolve with a 4-1 record at 4-4.

Making their debuts as first-years alongside Chen, Kenji Gullo (epee), Henry Bishop (foil), Prem Bhatt, and Greg Roumiantsev (both sabre) all contributed significant wins to aid the Fords. Gullo showcased readiness to step into the C-slot position in epee, handling 21 bouts and securing nine wins.

The Fords will continue their campaign at the D'Arnstein Invitational, hosted at their home venue, the Alumni Field House, on Saturday, December 9. Opponents will include Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Swarthmore, and Rowan.

Match Scores:

• Haverford def Hunter, 23-4

  • Epee: 7-2
  • Foil: 8-1
  • Sabre: 8-1

• Haverford def Denison, 20-7

  • E: 6-3
  • F: 8-1
  • S: 8-1

• Haverford def Cornell, 14-13

  • E: 3-6
  • F: 7-2
  • S: 4-5

• Haverford def Vassar, 14-13

  • E: 6-3
  • F: 3-6
  • S: 5-4

• Haverford def Wagner, 18-9

  • E: 6-3
  • F: 8-1
  • S: 4-5

• Haverford def Drew, 14-13

  • E: 4-5
  • F: 4-5
  • S: 6-3

• Yale def Haverford, 15-12

  • E: 4-5
  • F: 5-4
  • S: 6-3

• Sacred Heart def Haverford, 16-11

  • E: 6-3
  • F: 3-6
  • S: 7-2