Feb. 22, 2012
DURHAM, NC - The Johns Hopkins men's fencing team faced some stiff competition at the Duke Invitational on February 11, including top-ranked Penn State and eighth-ranked Duke. The Blue Jays went 0-5 at the invitational but came close in losses to North Carolina (receiving votes) and Brandeis. Hopkins slips to 11-13 on the season.
Hopkins opened against Brandeis, the only Division III team the Blue Jays would face on the day, falling 17-10. Freshman Aravind Menon led the Blue Jays with a pair of wins in the Sabre (2-7), while freshmen Alex Szigeti and Brian Redick each won two in the Epee (5-4). In the Sabre, sophomore Evan Stafford and freshmen Zachary Goldhirsch and Daniel Zatarain each won one bout.
Air Force (receiving votes in the coaches' poll) then beat Hopkins 18-9 in the second round. Menon once again led the way for Hopkins in the Sabre with two wins in a close 5-4 loss. Redick and Szigeti each had a win in the Epee, a 7-2 loss, and in the Foil, Zatarain had a pair of wins.
Hopkins then faced off against top-ranked Penn State in the third round and suffered a 20-7 loss. Menon earned both of the Blue Jays' wins in the Sabre (7-2), while Redick and Szigeti each had two wins in a 5-4 win in the Epee for JHU. Hopkins then dropped a tough 15-12 decision to North Carolina in the fourth round. The Blue Jays got one win apiece from Menon, junior Nicolas Barbera and freshman Paul Vitale in a 6-3 loss. Goldhirsch had a pair of wins in the Foil in a 6-3 loss to the Tar Heels, while freshman Jonathan Frame and Szigeti each won three as Hopkins won the Epee, 6-3.
Hopkins closed out the day with an 18-9 loss to host Duke. Vitale and Menon each won a bout in the Sabre (2-7), while Frame and Szigeti did the same in the Epee (2-7). And in the Foil, Goldhirsch won all three of his bouts, including the deciding one, as the Blue Jays won 5-4.
Szigeti led the Blue Jays with nine wins on the day and is now 49-26 on the season in the Epee. Menon was the top Sabrist for JHU with eight wins to improve to 47-24 this season. And in the Foil, it was Goldhirsch leading the way with seven wins as he improves to 28-17.
