Feb. 3, 2012
HOBOKEN, NJ - The Johns Hopkins men's fencing team won all five of its matches at the Stevens Invitational last weekend to improve to 10-4 on the season. Hopkins earned wins over Army, Stevens, NJIT, Yeshiva and Hunter. Sophomore Evan Stafford paced the Blue Jays as he went 13-0 in the Foil on the day.
Hopkins opened with an 18-9 win over Army, winning the Foil (7-2) and Sabre (7-2). Freshman Robert Goldhirsch went 3-0 for the Blue Jays to lead them to a win in the Foil. The Black Knights edged out the Jays, 5-4, in the Epee with a win in the final bout. Freshmen Brian Redick and Alex Szigeti each went 2-1 for Hopkins in the Epee. Hopkins then got three wins from junior Nicolas Barbera and a pair of wins each from freshmen Paul Vitale and Aravind Menon.
The Blue Jays followed with a close 15-12 win over the host Ducks. Stafford won all three of his bouts and junior Ben Wasser and Goldhirsch each won two to lead JHU to a 7-2 win in the Foil. Freshman Jonathan Frame then won all three of his bouts, including the clinching win in the ninth and final bout, to help JHU to a 5-4 win in the Epee. Stevens closed with a 6-3 win in the Sabre. Menon led Hopkins with a pair of wins.
Against NJIT, Hopkins swept all three weapons in a 22-5 win. Stafford and Goldhirsch led the way with three wins apiece for an 8-1 win in the Foil. The Blue Jays then blanked the Highlanders, 9-0, in the Epee behind sweeps from Szigeti, Redick and sophomore Jay DeYoung. The Sabre was the most closely contested round, but Hopkins pulled out the 5-4 win. Menon went 3-0 and won the clinching bout while Vitale earned a pair of wins.
Hopkins beat Yeshiva, 24-3, winning all three weapons by an 8-1 score. Stafford and freshman Zachary Goodman each went 3-0 to lead the way in the Foil. In the Foil, Frame and Szigeti went a combined 6-0 for the Blue Jays. And in the Sabre, it was Menon and Goldhirsch that each went 3-0. The Blue Jays closed out the day with a 26-1 win over the Hunter Hawks. JHU swept all three weapons, including 9-0 shut outs in the Foil and Sabre. Wasser, Stafford and Goodman each went 3-0 in the Foil. DeYoung and Szigeti combined for six wins in the Epee and in the Sabre, Menon, Goldhirsch and Vitale went undefeated.
Stafford improved to 37-11 on the season and 76-52 for his career. Wasser and Goodman each picked up nine wins in the Foil. Menon led the way in the Sabre for JHU, going 13-2 on the day to improve to 33-8 on the season. Vitale earned 10 wins and is now 30-13 for the season. Szigeti won 11 of 12 bouts in the Epee and is now 31-14 this season. DeYoung won 10 bouts and is now 34-13.
Hopkins returns to action on February 4 at the Eric Sollee Invitational hosted by Brandeis.
