As the spring semester commenced, the Stevens men’s and women’s fencing teams continued their hard work to prepare for their upcoming matches. Heading into the start of the spring, the men’s team boasted an undefeated record while the women captured 13 straight wins since losing the first match of their season to Wellesley College. Both teams asserted their dominance in each weapon style: epee, sabre, and foil. With such phenomenal records, both teams received national attention and started receiving votes to be ranked in the top 10 in the country.
On January 18, the men’s and women’s fencing teams participated in the West Point Invitational in West Point, New York. Both teams faced seven different opponents and were unbeaten throughout the entirety of the event. The men’s and women’s teams’ last matches at West Point proved to be difficult tasks, as they squeaked out 14-13 wins against Cleveland State and Drew, respectively. These last matches clinched the title for the Ducks.
Stevens dominated in each weapon style in both the men’s and women’s competitions. The epee recorded 42 wins and 12 losses while the sabre and foil went 37-17 and 32-22, respectively, for the men. Sophomores Vaughn Rice, Noah Ehrlich, and Logan Rechler led Stevens with double-digit victories. In the women’s competition, the epee obliterated the invitational, going 52-11, with sabre finishing at 46-17 and foil at 45-18. Stevens overpowered its opponents thanks to double-digit victories from freshmen Leigha Capra and Claire McNeill, senior Teny Odaimi, and sophomores Kiera Barnes and Bayla Gellerstein. With this sweep, the women’s team set the record for most consecutive wins in program history with 19 before extending it to 21 a week later. Also, Odaimi made history by winning her 100th match.
This past weekend, each team partook in the Eric Sollee Invitational. Unfortunately, both teams’ winning streaks halted in their first matches. The men’s team went 3-3 while the women’s team finished at 1-5. In the first match, the men’s team lost 15-12 to NJIT, dropping their first match of the season. However, their first defeat of the season did not stop them from beating a tough Brown team immediately after. While the men battled valiantly, the women’s team fell several times before grabbing their only win on the day against Haverford. Although both teams struggled in their matches, they are still in good position, with important invitationals and championships right around the corner.
After a week of rest, the women’s team returns to action as they travel to Philadelphia to take part in the FDU Invitational on Saturday, February 8. A day later, they will host their own invitational against NJIT and Fairleigh Dickinson University at 10 a.m. in Canavan Arena. A good performance in both invitationals will boost the lady Ducks’ confidence, preparing them for their upcoming EWFC championship.
On the other hand, the men’s team hosts the MACFA Round Robin Group “B” Tournament on Sunday, February 9, in Canavan Arena. They will compete in four matches, including a rematch against a fierce NJIT team, which handed them their first loss. With a win, Stevens men’s fencing would be at an advantage to claim the title and jump into the top 10 in the country.
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