POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 13, 2017) – The Vassar College women's fencing team will head down into the Big Apple on Wednesday evening, battling No. 2 Columbia University and New York University in the annual Historical Meet. The Brewers will fence NYU at 6:15 p.m. before taking on the Lions at 7:30 p.m. in action from the Columbia Fencing Room and Blue Gym.
 
Game Details
Opponent: No. 2 Columbia University (29-2) & New York University (12-12)
Site: New York, NY – at Columbia University
Facility: Blue Gym & Columbia Fencing Room
Date: February 15, 2017
Time: 6:15 p.m. vs. NYU; 7:30 p.m. vs. Columbia
 
Last Time Out: The Vassar women's fencing team went 5-2 last Saturday afternoon in the final day of action in Northeast Fencing Conference play. The highlight of the day for the Brewers was a thrilling 14-13 win over Sacred Heart, the first win over the Pioneers since the 2010-11 season.
 
A Look At The Brewers (24-15):
 

• Vassar will be looking to get to 25 wins for the third straight season and only the fourth in school history if the Brewers can take down either CU or NYU.
• Since head coach Bruce Gillman has taken over, the Brewers have posted 225 wins including posting a winning record in but three of his 12 seasons. VC is currently in the best three-year stretch in school history.
• Vassar opened Sunday with a 23-4 victory over UNH, as the foil team went 9-0 and the epee squad chalked up an 8-1 win. Senior Elsa Stoff posted three wins to start her afternoon, while sophomores Mirit Rutishauser and Sophie Blumenstock had no issues in sweeping their three bouts.
• In sabre, Annie Innes-Gold continued to make a bid for NFC Fencer of the Year with three wins, while Lilia Hutchinson was 2-1 in her three bouts.
• In round three, the Brewers dropped a close 15-12 decision as Dartmouth's sabre team was able to pick up a 7-2 decision. In foil, Blumenstock and Rutishauser each corralled two victories, including an exciting 5-4 win for Rutishauser over Ellie Ng.
• In round five, Vassar and Wellesley battled down to the last bout, as the Blue captured a nail-biting 14-13 win. Stoff picked up three more wins at epee, as she continued to cruise, while Rutishauser pulled out two more triumphs including a 5-4 win over Taylor Hood.
•  In epee, Weiss upped her record to 12-0 on the day with three more wins, while Hulsey-Vincent chalked up a pair of 5-3 wins. 
• VC wouldn't let the Wellesley match deter them though, turning around to pick a 14-13 win over Sacred Heart. The foil team racked up another win with a 5-4 decision, as Blumenstock was 3-0, followed by a 6-3 win for the epee squad.
• Hulsey-Vincent posted three clutch wins, featuring a 5-4 win over Sam Abbott, and Weiss also picked up two wins as well.
• Innes-Gold was her same dominant self, collecting three wins including a 5-3 win over NCAA qualifier Julia Greene.

 
A Look At The Violets (12-12):
 

• The Violets come into the week with a 12-12 mark, but that doesn't tell the whole story as 11 of the 12 losses are to teams ranked or earning votes in the CollegeFencing360.com Top 10 poll.
• Last time out, NYU went 3-3 at the Eric Sollee MIT Invitational, knocking off Haverford College, Brandeis University and Brown University.
• The sabre team for the Violets has been strong in 2016-17, as Oliwia Szumilo is 45-17 on the year, while Jacqueline Tubbs has chalked up 35 wins as well. Maria Free is 18-12 in her 30 bouts. Tubbs finished 11^th at last year's NCAA Northeast Regional.
• The foil team, led by Anastasiya Muravyeva and her 44-21 record, has battled against some of the best in the country. Alisa Traskunov is 27-38 on the year, while Rachel Yuen has 24 wins as well.
• In epee, Eileen Wang leads the Violets with 29 wins, while Hannah Bennett is right behind with 27. Stephanie Cunningham also has chalked up 22 bout victories.
• Head coach Steve Mormando has been at the helm of the NYU team for 31 seasons, coaching six NCAA champions and 40 NCAA All-Americans.

 
A Look At The Lions (29-2):
 

• When you're the defending national champions, nothing but winning means much, so the Lions will be frustrated at finishing second at the Ivy League Championships this past weekend, as Princeton took the team title.
• The Lions only other loss this season was also to Princeton, a 16-11 defeat back on November 5. Between the losses, Columbia rattled off 24 straight victories, including going undefeated at the Penn State University Invitational, which had six ranked teams in the Top 10 there.
• Junior sabre fencer Lena Johnson was 33-18 going into the weekend, and was named as a First Team All-Ivy League member. She finished third overall last year at the NCAA Championships.
• Katie Angen, who was fifth in the country last year, also earned First Team All-Ivy League in women's epee, while Margaret Lu was the Ivy League champion this past weekend in foil.
• Lu also was All-Ivy First Team, and was 31-5 going into the weekend.
• Women's foil fencer Sara Taffel was all First Team All-Ivy League, and was fourth nationally last year.
• Ester Schreiber comes into the week 31-3 as well in foil.

 
Up Next: The Brewers will entertain the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference Championships Sunday morning, as action gets underway at 9:30 a.m. in Walker Field House.