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FENCING: Sofer's perfect day leads Judges épée team to historic victory
by Jeffrey Pickette
Senior writer
Sports | 3/6/07
Posted online at 1:41 AM EST on 3/6/07
/ Last updated at 8:56 PM EST on 3/6/07
A weekend of success for the fencing team culminated in a historic moment: For the first time in University history, the men's épée squad captured the title at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championships Saturday in Princeton, N.J.
The trophy seized by the men's épée squad is among the oldest in college sports, and it has rotated among an exclusive group of winning clubs since the 1920s. For the Judges, it forecasts a potentially bright future.
"Capturing the trophy gives [the épée team] hopes for years to come," épée Will Bedor '10 said.
The entire men's team finished fourth out of 11 teams at the tournament with 50 points, with the foil and saber squads both coming in seventh place. The women's team finished eighth out of 12, with 41 points. The Judges' combined 91 points was good for a composite finish of sixth place.
The épée team, led by a career-defining performance by Drew Sofer '07, outdueled some of the elite fencing programs in the nation, including perennial powerhouses Harvard University, Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania. Sofer went a perfect 10-0 on the day, while Bedor and Kai Keller '07 contributed seven and five victories, respectively, as the squad combined for a 22-8 record.
Sofer, competing in his final collegiate tournament, ended his Brandeis career on top.
"This is the best I've fenced in a really long time," Sofer, who overcame a serious injury in his junior year, said. "I couldn't have done any better. It's a very nice feeling to execute and finally put it all together."
"[Sofer] fenced the best he has since his freshman year," coach Bill Shipman said.
Sofer's performance earned him a berth in the ensuing individual tournament, where the top 16 epée fencers go head-to-head in a single elimination competition.
In the first round, Sofer scored a 13-12 victory in sudden-death overtime against UPenn sophomore Ben Weider. He ultimately exited in the round of eight and finished 8th place in the tournament.
The trophy seized by the men's épée squad is among the oldest in college sports, and it has rotated among an exclusive group of winning clubs since the 1920s. For the Judges, it forecasts a potentially bright future.
"Capturing the trophy gives [the épée team] hopes for years to come," épée Will Bedor '10 said.
The entire men's team finished fourth out of 11 teams at the tournament with 50 points, with the foil and saber squads both coming in seventh place. The women's team finished eighth out of 12, with 41 points. The Judges' combined 91 points was good for a composite finish of sixth place.
The épée team, led by a career-defining performance by Drew Sofer '07, outdueled some of the elite fencing programs in the nation, including perennial powerhouses Harvard University, Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania. Sofer went a perfect 10-0 on the day, while Bedor and Kai Keller '07 contributed seven and five victories, respectively, as the squad combined for a 22-8 record.
Sofer, competing in his final collegiate tournament, ended his Brandeis career on top.
"This is the best I've fenced in a really long time," Sofer, who overcame a serious injury in his junior year, said. "I couldn't have done any better. It's a very nice feeling to execute and finally put it all together."
"[Sofer] fenced the best he has since his freshman year," coach Bill Shipman said.
Sofer's performance earned him a berth in the ensuing individual tournament, where the top 16 epée fencers go head-to-head in a single elimination competition.
In the first round, Sofer scored a 13-12 victory in sudden-death overtime against UPenn sophomore Ben Weider. He ultimately exited in the round of eight and finished 8th place in the tournament.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
George Newhall
posted 3/06/07 @ 10:38 PM EST
Happy to read results of competition...Proud of team as a whole and especially my granddaughter Jessie...
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