CHESTNUT HILL, MA (January 23, 2016) – The Vassar College men's fencing team opened its Northeast Fencing Conference slate Saturday morning at Boston College, taking part in the second of three conference match days in action from the Flynn Recreation Center on the campus of BC.

The Brewers started the day with three big victories, dispatching of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (18-9), Boston College (16-11) and Tufts University (17-10), but dropped two heartbreakers in the final two rounds. VC fell to conference leading Brandeis University 14-13, while losing to Brown University in the sixth and final round 15-12.

In the opening match of the day, the Brewers got a solid performance from all three weapons, as Tom Racek (Clark's Summit, PA/Abington Heights) and Michael Skolnick (South Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) each posted three wins in foil. The foil team tallied eight wins in the opening match of the day, while both sabre and epee squads each registered five apiece.

Against host Boston College in round two, the sophomores stole the show for the Brewers, as second-year fencers Eli Polston (Silver Spring, MD/Einstein), Racek and Jonathan Alperstein (Fishkill, NY/John Jay) each posted perfect 3-0 marks against the Eagles. Skolnick added two more wins in foil as well for the Brewers in the 16-11 victory.

The third win of the day came against the Jumbos of Tufts University, as seven different fencers chalked up a pair of bout victories. Alperstein led the epee team with two wins, while Racek, Benjamin Xiong (Andover, MA/Shanghai American) and Jackson Dammann (Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greeley) each posted two wins in foil. Sophomore Eric Lee (Fishkill, NY/John Jay) subbed in at sabre and took two bouts, and Elam Coalson (River Forest, IL/Oak Park & River Forest) and Polston also figured in the decision with two more triumphs.

The match with the Judges of Brandeis was as close as it gets, but Brandeis went 8-1 in foil to eke out the victory. Junior epee captain Ry Farley (Pasadena, CA/Waverly School) and Alperstein both were 3-0 against the Judges, and Polston followed suit with three wins of his own. Senior Zachary Wilson (Rochester, NY/Allendale Columbia School) also finished with two wins, but VC narrowly missed the team win.

In the finale of the day, Polston continued his hot fencing with his sixth straight victory to end the afternoon, while Coalson picked up two more wins as well for the Brewers. Alperstein was 3-0 in epee, and went 11-1 in his final 12 bouts Saturday, and Racek posted Vassar's lone foil win against Brown.

For the day, Polston led all Vassar fencers with 13 total victories, while Alperstein added 12 wins in epee. Coalson finished with eight bouts to his credit, and Racek led the foil squad with 10 triumphs for the Brewers.

Vassar College will head to Yale University next Saturday at 2 p.m. for a dual match with the Bulldogs in New Haven, CT.