HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's fencing team continued its strong start to the season by going 4-1 Saturday at the Haverford Invitational held at Alumni Field House.
The women defeated William & Mary, University of Virginia, University of Maryland-College Park, and New Jersey Institute of Technology, but lost to archrival Johns Hopkins.
In the first round of the meet, the Fords took down William & Mary 21-6, led by the stellar play of the foil squad, who won its matches 8-1.
Last weekend's victory against Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC) runner-up Stevens Institute of Technology had raised Haverford's hope for a victory against John Hopkins, the EWFC defending champion, but without the foilists in top form that win was not to be. However, Haverford's epeeists stood strong against the Blue Jays, winning that weapon squad battle 6-3. Sarah Sofia led that charge with an undefeated 3-0 record against Johns Hopkins. The junior epeeist was 13-2 for the tournament.
Also triumphing against the Blue Jays was Shannon Horn, a junior sabriste, who was undefeated on the entire day, posting a perfect 12-0 record. Horn subbed out several times to allow freshman Elisabeth Hawthorne to post a 2-5 record in her varsity debut.
Sofia, on the other hand, did not have the benefit of a sub throughout the day because epee squadmate Julie Petersen switched over to the foil squad from the third round through the completion of the competition. Petersen, who has trained in foil fencing as well as her starting weapon, epee, filled in for an injured teammate on the foil squad, and posted an impressive 6-1 record in foil for the day, while also going 7-1 in epee. Freshman Petersen proved herself a true "double threat" for the Fords in her remarkable dual-meet debut.
In the afternoon rounds, the epee women continued to dominate with back-to-back shutouts of 9-0 against Virginia and Maryland, as Haverford rolled to easy wins. Posting an 8-1 showing, the sabristes anchored the 19-8 victory over Division I rival NJIT.
Other standouts on the day were Anjali Baliga, 11-4 in the epee, and Francesca Behling, 9-3 through four rounds.
The Haverford women's and men's fencing teams will next compete Saturday, Dec. 8, at 11 a.m., when they host local rivals Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr College and Drexel University in the Gardner Integrated Athletic Center.
Haverford def. William & Mary, 21-6
Epee: 6-3
Foil: 8-1
Sabre: 7-2
Johns Hopkins def. Haverford, 17-10
E: 3-6
F: 8-1
S: 6-3
Haverford def. University of Virginia, 20-7
E: 9-0
F: 5-4
S: 6-3
Haverford def. University of Maryland, 23-4
E: 9-0
F: 7-2
S: 7-2
Haverford def. NJIT, 19-8
E: 5-4
F: 6-3
S: 8-1