NEW YORK (February 10, 2015) – The Vassar College men's fencing team traveled to the Big Apple Tuesday evening to battle No. 2 Columbia University and host New York University in a non-conference soirée in Coles Sports Center.

The Brewers (20-14) fell to the host Violets 15-12 in the opening match of the night, dropping the nightcap with the newly-crowned Ivy League champion Lions 18-9. Against New York University, the Brewers got a great performance out of its sabre team, going 7-2 on the round. The epee team earned four victories, but the strong foil squad of the host Violets proved to be the deciding factor.

Vassar freshman sabre fencer Eli Polston (Silver Spring, MD/Einstein) went unblemished against the Violets, earning three wins including a 5-4 win in the opening bout of the day for VC. Junior captain Elam Coalson (River Forest, IL/Oak Park & River Forest) chalked up a pair of bout wins as well, while Campbell Woods (Newport Beach, CA/Corona Del Mar) was 2-1 against NYU.

In epee, sophomore Ry Farley (Pasadena, CA/Waverly School) continued his superb fencing of late, going 2-1, while freshman teammate Jonathan Alperstein (Fishkill, NY/John Jay) added two wins over the Violets. Sophomore Benjamin Xiong (Andover, MA/Shanghai American School) chalked up the only win of the match for Brewers in foil.

Against the Lions, the epee team posted a 5-4 win against Columbia University, as Farley earned another two wins. Freshman George Whiteside (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield Ludlowe) earned a pair of wins against the No. 2 Lions, while Alperstein also helped knock off the CU epee squad with a bout victory of his own.

The sabre team for the Brewers narrowly dropped their best of nine matchup with Columbia, as Polston went a perfect 3-0 and Woods picked up another victory as well for Vassar. Freshman Tom Racek (Clark's Summit, PA/Abington Heights) battled in his matches in foil, narrowly falling 5-3 in his last two bouts of the day.

Vassar will return to action Saturday, February 21 at 8 a.m. in Walker Field House, as the Brewers host the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Championships in Poughkeepsie, NY.