Dec. 4, 2012
WALTHAM, MA - The Johns Hopkins women's fencing team had a good showing at the Brandeis Invitational, winning three of five matches to improve to 8-2 on the season. Hopkins beat Yale (18-9), MIT (17-10) and Boston College (14-13) but dropped decisions to Brown (18-9) and host Brandeis (15-12).
Hopkins opened against Yale, sweeping all three weapons en route to the team win. Sophomore Rachel Kalina and juniors Kathleen Rand and Katherine Simeon each won two bouts in the 6-3 Blue Jay win in the Sabre. Freshmen Ashley Lau, Rachel Viqueira and junior Jackie Heath did the same in the Foil as JHU won 7-2. It was a battle in the Epee, as the Blue Jays pulled out a 5-4 win in the ninth and final bout. Freshman Shiting Liu won all three of her bouts, while sophomore Gianna Puzzo won the clinching bout as she went 2-1.
Against MIT, Hopkins won just one weapon (Foil, 9-0) but close decisions in the Sabre and Epee led to a Blue Jay victory. The Engineers edged the Blue Jays 5-4 in the Sabre, with Simeon winning a pair of bouts for the Jays. Hopkins then dominated the Foil, with Viqueira and Lau each sweeping their three bouts. Hopkins then lost the Epee, but won four bouts to secure the overall team victory. Puzzo won a pair of bouts to pace the Blue Jays in the Epee.
Hopkins then won a close 14-13 decision over Boston College thanks in part to wins in the Sabre and Foil. Rand and Simeon each won two bouts in the Sabre, with Rand clinching the win in the eighth bout for the 5-4 JHU win. Hopkins then got two wins each from Viqueira, Lau and Heath as the Jays won 6-3. In the Epee, the Blue Jays won just three bouts, but the third win was all they would need as they nipped the Eagles, 14-13, in the overall team score. Puzzo, Liu and freshman Kelly Seeger each won a bout in the 6-3 loss.
Brown swept all three weapons against Hopkins to take the team win. Kalina led the Blue Jays in the Sabre, winning two of her three bouts as JHU lost 6-3. In the Foil, freshman Abigail Delamater went 2-0 in a close 5-4 Bears' win. Brown then closed out the match with a 7-2 win in the Epee. Liu earned both wins for JHU in the loss. Hopkins dropped a close one to host Brandeis, falling 15-12. JHU started off strong with a 7-2 win in the Sabre, led by three wins from Simeon. But the Judges would go on to win the Foil (6-3) and the Epee (7-2) to take the team win. Heath led the Jays in the Foil with two wins, while Puzzo and junior Liz Caris each won a bout in the Epee.
Simeon led the Blue Jays on the day with a 10-4 record and earned her 200th career win. She is now 22-5 on the season and 203-76 for her career. Heath and Viqueira each went 9-4 in the Foil for the Blue Jays on the day. Heath is now 16-6 on the season and 184-73 for her career. While Viqueira is 19-5 so far this season. Liu finished with a 7-8 record for the JHU in the Epee to improve to 17-13 this season. Puzzo had six wins to improve to 17-11 on the season and 97-49 for her career.
Hopkins is now idle until January 27 when the Blue Jays travel to the Philadelphia Invitational.
