PROVIDENCE, RI (January 28, 2017) – The Vassar College men's fencing team traveled to Brown University for the first day of Northeast Fencing Conference action Saturday, looking to start league action on a high note after a great start to the season in non-conference action.

Unfortunately for the Brewers, they would drop four of their five NFC matches on Saturday with all four losses coming in tight contests. Vassar fell to Brandeis University 15-12, before being tripped up in outings with Boston College 16-11, Brown University 16-11, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology 15-12. The Brewers rebounded with a 21-6 win to end the day over Tufts University.

In the opening round against Brandeis, Vassar's foil team earned the 5-4 win, as junior Tom Racek and freshman Jack Holmes went 2-1. In sabre, VC saw Ethan Levine earn two wins, and junior Eli Polston also earned a pair of victories but VC was topped in sabre 5-4.

After the bye, Vassar took on Boston College and couldn't get much going, as all three weapon groups fell to the Golden Eagles. In foil, Racek, Holmes and Noe Berger each posted one victory apiece, while Jonathan Alperstein and George Whiteside each picked up a pair of wins. The epee team though could have won four more bouts though, dropping four with the score of 5-4. In sabre, Polston and Levine were each 2-1 against BC.

The Brewers fell in round four against the host Bears as well, with VC's foil picking up the squad win with five victories. Racek earned two more wins, and sophomore Michael Skolnick subbed in to go 2-1 as well against Brown. Once again, the epee team was right on the cusp of earning a squad win, but was out-touched 5-4 in four more matches as Alperstein earned VC's two wins against Brown. Polston led VC in sabre against Brown, chalking up two more victories.

VC would suffer yet another heartbreaking loss against MIT, as the foil team picked up another squad triumph. The junior foil standout was once again stellar, as Racek was 3-0 against the Engineers. In epee, Alperstein was 2-1 and Polston added a 2-1 mark in sabre in the 15-12 defeat to MIT.

In Vassar's lone win of the day, the Brewers would pick up the squad win in all three weapons. In foil, VC blanked the Jumbos as Berger and Racek were each 3-0, and Skolnick was 2-0 before subbing out. The epee team earned a 5-4 win, thanks to two wins by senior Jackson Dammann and Whiteside. Polston picked up three more win in sabre, and Eric Lee and Graeme Mills also picked up two victories apiece.

In all, Racek led the Brewers with an 11-4 record on the afternoon, while Polston also chalked up an 11-4 mark in sabre. The men's foil team also posted a 4-1 record on the day, best of the three weapon groups.
VC will be back in action next Saturday afternoon, taking on the Bulldogs of Yale University in New Haven, CT.