POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 10, 2016) -- The Vassar College Men's Fencing Team returns to Walker Field House for the first time this season to host the annual Vassar Invitational.  The Brewers hope to continue their tradition of success in the invitational, having gone a combined 11-3 in the past two.  Two of those three loses have come to Stevens Institute of Technology, who Vassar will get another crack at this weekend, in what looks to be the most highly anticipated match on Sunday.    

Match Details
Tournament: Vassar Invitational
Links: (Vassar Men's Fencing Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Walker Field House
Time: 10 a.m.
Coverage: Live Video
 
A Look At The Brewers

• Vassar College opened up its season last weekend at The Big One, an individual event hosted by the New England Intercollegiate Fencing Conference (NEIFC) at Smith College.
• The Brewers had a good showing in epee, led by junior Jonathan Alperstein who finished 5^th overall in the finals, while three other Brewers, Daniel Swerzenski, Ry Farley, and Jackson Dammann, all finished in the top 15.
• Freshman Noe Berger shined in foil finishing fourth in the finals while allowing just five touches in six matches in his first collegiate competition.
• Three other foil competitors finished strongly for the Brewers as Tom Racek, Jack Holmes, and Michael Skolnick finished ninth, 10^th, 15^th respectively in the finals.
• Freshman Ethan Levine and Graeme Mills headlined the sabre division for Vassar finishing 14^th and 16^th respectively in their first collegiate action
• Vassar welcomes seven Freshman to this roster already loaded with talent that looks to compete for an NFC conference championship after finishing in 3^rd place last year
• Of Vassar's nine projected starters five of nine finished in the top 10 and all nine finished top 20
• Head Coach Bruce Gillman is now in his 12^th season with the Brewers and has led the team to nine consecutive double-digit win seasons and third straight 20 win season
• Following the Matt Lampell Hudson Valley Invitational, the Brewers finish their season on a long road trip starting December 4^th and finishing February 15^th before the NEIFC Championship.

A Look At The Invitational Field

• The Brewers will host a wide array of opponents, as Yeshiva, Hunter, Stevens Institute of Technology, Haverford, Lafayette, Army, University of The Incarnate Word, and Drew University all come to Poughkeepsie to take on Vassar.
• Vassar beat Yeshiva, Hunter, Lafayette, and Army in last years invitational while losing a heart breaking 14-13 contest against Stevens Institute of Technology
• Stevens Institute of Technology had a strong start to their season in their opening individual invitational with a total of five top 25 finishes in a highly competitive field
• Yan Yan Xie led Haverford in their first individual event as the foilist took home third place in a field of 104 at the Temple invitational. He was supported by four other fencers who finished in the top 25

Up Next
The Brewers will host the annual Matt Lampell Hudson Valley invitational the following weekend on Sunday, November 20^th.  The team will also celebrate its Senior Day and recognize the Brewers who will be fencing in their last home match.  The invitational is set to start at 10 a.m. in Walker Field House