POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Haverford College women's fencing team began the team portion of its 2018-19 schedule on Sunday at the Vassar Invitational. The Fords defeated Yeshiva and Hunter to highlight the team's success. Several individuals shined across all weapons as each squad had at least one member win at least 10 individual matches. Nevertheless, entering the weekend with a short-handed team due to injuries ultimately proved crucial as the Fords came up just shy of even more team victories during numerous rounds throughout the day's action.
With its full lineup intact, Haverford's epeeists led the Fords with a 4-3 record during its squad matchups and needed just two more bouts to flip narrow results against Army-West Point and Northwestern. Epee led the way in Haverford's team victories with a combined 17-1 record during those two rounds. Katie Bradley paced the individuals on the squad with 13 wins over the seven rounds. She posted a winning record during five of the team's bouts, sporting perfect marks against host Vassar and Yeshiva.
First year Maia Carvalho added 11 wins to her squad's total. She went 3-0 against Hunter and Yeshiva to strongly support the team's victory while adding two wins against both Vassar and Wagner. Claire Cai also had a strong showing against Hunter with a 3-0 record that round, while adding two wins against Wagner and another against Division I Northwestern. First year Sarah Blossom started and finished the day fencing foil, but the regular epee fencer posted a 4-2 record in her normal discipline with a 1-2 mark against Northwestern before a perfect 3-0 record against Yeshiva.
Haverford's sabre squad saw both co-captain Anna Neuheardt and Emily Brown reach double-digit win totals. Brown led the sabrists with 12 victories during the seven rounds of fencing. She won at least one bout during each of those rounds, with three victories during the team's success against Yeshiva and Hunter. Captain Neuheardt fenced during five of the team's seven rounds, going 10-5 on the day. She too won at least one bout in every round she fenced (sitting out the team's victories with the match secured) and posted 3-0 records against Vassar and Army-West Point. Maria Yea won five bouts during her collegiate debut in a team setting. The first year was perfect during the team's victory against Hunter, while adding victories to her credit against Vassar and Yeshiva.
The foil squad featured just three fencers on Sunday, one of which was epee fencer Sarah Blossom. Jia-Ming Tuan led the foilists with 10 victories. She added 3-0 rounds during the team's victories, also contributing two wins against Wagner and Army-West Point. When Blossom was fencing foil for the first time this season, the first year showed great versatility as she went 2-1 against Wagner and 3-0 versus Hunter to highlight her day of foil fencing. Fellow first year Sofia Nicolayevsky added wins against Wagner and Army-West Point during her debut in a collegiate team setting.
Women's fencing will return home this weekend for the Dan Arnstein '09 Invitational which is set for Saturday, November 17 inside the Andy Kates Fencing Salle. Action on the strips is set to start at 10 a.m. This will be the first of two straight home competitions for the Fords who announced they will now be hosting the Tri-Co Invitational on Saturday, December 1.
Vassar Invitational Team Scores
Vassar 17, Haverford 10
Epee: 4-5
Foil: 9-0
Sabre: 4-5
Wagner 14, Haverford 13
Epee: 3-6
Foil: 5-4
Sabre: 2-7
Army-West Point 17, Haverford 10
Epee: 6-3
Foil: 6-3
Sabre: 5-4
Northwestern 21, Haverford 6
Epee: 6-3
Foil: 9-0
Sabre: 6-3
Haverford 16, Yeshiva 10
Epee: 9-0
Foil: 3-6
Sabre: 4-4 (one bout not contested)
Haverford 20, Hunter 5
Epee: 8-1
Foil: 6-3
Sabre: 6-1 (two bouts not contested)
Wellesley 24, Haverford 3
Epee: 9-0
Foil: 9-0
Sabre: 6-3