Spring Break
FENCING: Both squads perfect at meet
by Melissa Siegel
Staff writer
Sports | 1/27/09
Posted online at 3:19 AM EST on 1/27/09
When the men's fencing team faced Brown University earlier this season at the Brandeis Invitational Dec. 8, the foil squad dropped seven of nine matches to the Bears in an eventual 16-11 defeat. Given another chance to face the Bears at last Saturday's Northeast Fencing Conference meet, the Judges' foil squad was determined to avenge their defeat, this time on the Bears' home floor.
"The foil squad worked hard in practice and just came in with a much better attitude, an attitude more of 'We can win, we can beat these teams, we are the better team,' and it was successful," captain and foil Will Friedman '09 said.
The hard work paid off, as the men's team defeated Brown 17-10, one of five victories on the day against no defeats. The Judges also defeated Tufts University, Vassar College, Boston College and Dartmouth College. The women's team also went undefeated in six matches, including a 19-8 win over Brown, the defending conference champion.
"It was very gratifying to come back and beat [Brown and Boston College]," Friedman said. "I think it really speaks to the improvement of [the men's team] and the work ethic."
The men defeated Tufts 17-10, Vassar 15-12, Boston College 15-12 and Dartmouth 23-4. The women took down Tufts 16-11, Vassar 20-7, Smith College 17-10, Brown 19-8 and Boston College 19-8.
After the loss to Brown in December, coach Bill Shipman worked with two of his younger fencers, foils Sean Norton '12 and Andrew Mandel '11, on their attack moves, hoping to improve their performance this time around.
"With [Norton] and [Mandel], over the last few weeks to hopefully help turn them around, we worked on a few things," Shipman said. He added: "Not being so defensive and reactionary, just basic fencing things."
The men's squad also avenged an earlier 15-12 loss against Boston College at the Beanpot Fencing Championship Dec. 3.
The women's team defeated Brown earlier in the year at the Brandeis Invitational in a close 14-13 match that was decided by the Brandeis epée squad winning seven of nine bouts. At the rematch last Saturday, classmates Jess Davis-Heim '09 and Jessica Newhall '09 won two bouts against Brown sophomore foil Francesca Bartholomew, who went 19-4 at the Brandeis Invitational last month.
"The foil squad worked hard in practice and just came in with a much better attitude, an attitude more of 'We can win, we can beat these teams, we are the better team,' and it was successful," captain and foil Will Friedman '09 said.
The hard work paid off, as the men's team defeated Brown 17-10, one of five victories on the day against no defeats. The Judges also defeated Tufts University, Vassar College, Boston College and Dartmouth College. The women's team also went undefeated in six matches, including a 19-8 win over Brown, the defending conference champion.
"It was very gratifying to come back and beat [Brown and Boston College]," Friedman said. "I think it really speaks to the improvement of [the men's team] and the work ethic."
The men defeated Tufts 17-10, Vassar 15-12, Boston College 15-12 and Dartmouth 23-4. The women took down Tufts 16-11, Vassar 20-7, Smith College 17-10, Brown 19-8 and Boston College 19-8.
After the loss to Brown in December, coach Bill Shipman worked with two of his younger fencers, foils Sean Norton '12 and Andrew Mandel '11, on their attack moves, hoping to improve their performance this time around.
"With [Norton] and [Mandel], over the last few weeks to hopefully help turn them around, we worked on a few things," Shipman said. He added: "Not being so defensive and reactionary, just basic fencing things."
The men's squad also avenged an earlier 15-12 loss against Boston College at the Beanpot Fencing Championship Dec. 3.
The women's team defeated Brown earlier in the year at the Brandeis Invitational in a close 14-13 match that was decided by the Brandeis epée squad winning seven of nine bouts. At the rematch last Saturday, classmates Jess Davis-Heim '09 and Jessica Newhall '09 won two bouts against Brown sophomore foil Francesca Bartholomew, who went 19-4 at the Brandeis Invitational last month.
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