By Bruce Gillman
Head Coach

WELLESLEY, MA (February 9, 2008) -- The Vassar Women's Fencing Team recorded historic victories against Wellesley and Tufts on the way to a 6-0 day yesterday at Wellesley. Our inaugural Northeast Conference record is 8-4.

Outstanding fencers on the day for the Vassar Women's Fencing Team were Jackie Kory (freshman, foil 16-0 !!!), Sophie Courser (freshman, epee 16-2), Julie Carlsen (freshman, sabre 14-3), Erica Seigneur (sabre, junior 13-4), Emily Frederiksen (sabre, senior 13-4), and Melissa Lee (foil, sophomore 10-3). The sabre squad was especially successful today, with convincing squad victories in all 6 rounds, but foil and epee were not far behind.

Round 1 – Vassar 18 – Tufts 9

The last two years we fenced Tufts in dual matches at Wellesley, Vassar lost to them convincingly. This year we definitively turned the tables on them. Epee was close with a 5-4 Vassar victory, but sabre cruised at 6-3, and foil rolled at 7-2 behind a 3-0 performace by Jackie Kory and 2-1 rounds turned in by both Melissa Lee and Kristina Poznan.

Round 2 – Vassar 22 – Dartmouth 5

Dartmouth is a team that we have faced at New England Championships, but had not yet fenced in a dual match. Sabre lead the Vassar charge with an 8-1 record in the round, with both Julie Carlsen and Emily Frederiksen undefeated in the round. But epee and foil followed close behind with 7-2 victories and undefeated rounds for Jackie Kory, Melissa Lee, Sadi Rebsch, Molly Soiffer, and Sophie Courser.

Round 3 – Vassar 20 – UMass 7

We beat UMass convincingly last year at Sacred Heart and nothing has changed this season. Sabre was pretty close at 5-4, but epee posted a 7-2 record. Meryl Franklin went 3-0 in this round. In foil Melissa Lee and Jackie Kory were undefeated and Kristina Poznan went 2-1 to lead the foil squad to an 8-1 victory.

Round 4 – Vassar 16 – Wellesley 11

Like Tufts we had lost to Wellesley for the past two seasons, but things were a bit different today. Both foil and epee were tight matches. Despite Jackie Kory and Sophie Courser both going 3-0, the Wellesley fencers managed to shut down the rest of our foil and epee fencers pretty well. Wellesley won both squad victories at 4-5. They, however, did not win the match, because Vassar women's sabre routed Wellesley by winning eight bouts and only losing one! Erica Seigneur and Julie Carlsen were 3-0 in the round.

Round 5 – Vassar 22 – Boston University 5

This was the first dual match that we have fenced against our yearly New England Championships opponent, BU. All three Vassar squads rolled along with foil at 8-1 and epee and sabre at 7-2.

Round 6 – Vassar 20 – University of New Hampshire 7

The Vassar women retained their endurance and concentration well into the last round. Epee and foil posted 7-2 marks against UNH and sabre was also successful at 6-3.

The next match for the Vassar Women's fencing team will be at Columbia on Wednesday, February 13 against Columbia and NYU.