STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Haverford College men's fencing team continued a challenging stretch of competition against top-notch talent as it competed in the Penn State Invitational Saturday.

Despite not being able to overcome any of their powerhouse Division I opponents -- Duke, North Carolina, Penn State, and Penn -- the Fords gained valuable experience while several individual fencers registered important victories that will aid them in their quest for beneficial seeding at the NCAA regional.

The epee squad captured the lone squad-victory of the day for Haverford as it took down the Tar Heels of North Carolina, 7-2. Junior epeeist, and defending Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association (MACFA) champion, James Nieuwland led the Fords on the day with a 6-6 record, registering wins against strong opponents from every school at the tournament. Four of the five epeeists on the Haverford squad won victories over the course of the day of competition, including freshman Warren Schwartz.

Freshman foilist Max Findley, continuing his strong season, finishing with five wins and seven losses. Squadmates Sam Levinson and Lawrence Wang contributed two wins a piece on the day. A first round battle with Duke gave the foilists hopes of toppling the Blue Devils before narrowly dropping a 5-4 decision.

The sabre squad's lone win came from freshman Dan Fries, who continues to show growth. Coach Chris Spencer looks to continued development by the sabre squad in ability and confidence as a pivotal element in the hunt for a MACFA trophy.

Haverford, after spending the last two weekends competing against top D-I programs on the the East Coast, returns to primarily D-III action this weekend. MIT, Tufts, D-I rival Boston College and host Brandeis University await at the Sollee Invitational on Saturday.

Duke def. Haverford, 21-6
Foil: 5-4
Epee: 8-1
Sabre: 8-1

North Carolina def. Haverford, 17-10
F: 6-3
E: 2-7
S: 9-0

Penn State def. Haverford, 25-2
F: 8-1
E: 8-1
S: 9-0

Penn def. Haverford, 22-5
F: 8-1
E: 5-4
S: 9-0