STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Haverford College women's fencing team traveled to Penn State this past Saturday, competing in its most grueling and demanding tournament of the season – the Penn State Invitational. Taking on the best teams in the east, including 2015 NCAA Division I Champion Columbia and runner-up Penn State, the Fords won at least five bouts against all their opponents for the first time in their 15-plus years of competing at that tournament.

Although Haverford did not win any overall matches with their Division I opponents, the sabre squad upset seventh-ranked Penn State at home, 5-4, for its first-ever squad win over the Nittany Lions. The epee squad also had a win that came against Ivy powerhouse University of Pennsylvania by the same 5-4 margin.

Senior co-captain and epeeist Julie Petersen led all scorers on the day with a 13-8 record. Petersen started out strong, going 6-0 in the first two rounds of competition against Duke and Penn. Against Columbia, it was Petersen's weapon squad mate and fellow co-captain Leila Braun that shined as she downed two of her three top ranked opponents from the tough Lions' squad.

Petersen later continued her winning ways by taking two of her three bouts from Yale and Temple, while going a perfect 3-0 against the University of North Carolina. Against the host Nittany Lions, Braun again rose to the occasion by claiming an individual win for the epee squad. Braun finished her day with an impressive 9-12 record.

Leading the sabre squad was freshman Anna Neuheardt as she tallied seven victories on the afternoon, including two that came in the squad's 5-4 upset victory against Penn State. Fellow sabrists Emily Brown and Elisabeth Hawthorne each had two wins on the day. Foilists Renata DiDonato and Amira Abujbara also had two victories, while Alexandra Morrison tallied the foil squad's victory against Temple.

Women's fencing will continue to test itself against the best competition available as the Fords will travel to Penn next Saturday, January 23 for the Philadelphia Invitational.

Team Scores

Duke def. Haverford, 22–5
Epee: 5-4
Foil: 9-0
Sabre: 8-1

Penn def. Haverford, 21-6
Epee: 4-5
Foil: 8-1
Sabre: 9-0

Columbia def. Haverford, 22-5
Epee: 7-2
Foil: 9-0
Sabre: 6-3

Yale def. Haverford, 22-5
Epee: 6-3
Foil: 8-1
Sabre: 8-1

Temple def. Haverford, 22-5
Epee: 6-3
Foil: 8-1
Sabre: 8-1

North Carolina def. Haverford, 22-5
Epee: 5-4
Foil: 8-1
Sabre: 9-0

Penn State def. Haverford, 20-7
Epee: 8-1
Foil: 8-1
Sabre: 4-5