FDU Invitational

TEANECK, NJ - The Johns Hopkins women's fencing team won two of its five bouts at the Fairleigh Dickinson Invitational Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays improve to 3-12 on the season as they head into championship season. Hopkins defeated Stevens and NJIT while dropping decisions to Brandeis, 10th-ranked Duke and host FDU.

Hopkins opened with a 15-12 win over Stevens, picking up wins in the Sabre and Epee. Junior Isabella So led the Blue Jays with three wins as they won the Sabre, 5-4. The Ducks won the Foil by a 6-3 score, with junior Ashley Lau earning all three of the Jays' wins. And in the Epee, it was Hopkins picking up a 7-2 win, led by senior Gianna Puzzo and sophomore Katherine Couch with three wins each.

Brandeis then defeated Hopkins, 16-11, with JHU winning the Epee. In the Sabre, the Blue Jays lost 6-3, and senior Rachel Kalina won two of her three bouts. The Judges won the Foil by the same score, while Lau once again went 3-0. The Blue Jays pulled out a 5-4 win in the Epee, led by Puzzo and Couch with two wins each. Couch also clinched the win in the ninth and final bout.

Fairleigh Dickinson followed with an 18-9 win over Hopkins, with the Blue Jays claiming the Sabre. So led the way for Hopkins, winning all three of her bouts and clinching the win in the eighth bout, in a 5-4 win. FDU won all nine bouts in the Foil to take the win, while edging JHU in the Epee (5-4). Puzzo won two of her bouts to pace the Jays in the Epee.

In round four, Hopkins picked up its second win, defeating NJIT, 15-12. The Blue Jays cruised to a 7-2 win in the Sabre as Kalina and So each won three bouts. The Highlanders picked up a 6-3 win in the Foil while sophomore Aviana Duca won two of her bouts. And in the Epee, the Blue Jays earned a 5-4 win, led by Couch's three wins. Hopkins closed out the day with a touch 16-11 loss to Temple. The Blue Jays grabbed a 7-2 win in the Sabre, led by Kalina and her three wins. The Owls however took 7-2 wins in both the Foil and Epee. Lau won two of her bouts for JHU in the Foil and Puzzo and Couch each won one in the Epee.

So and Kalina led the Blue Jays with 12 wins apiece for the Sabre squad. So is now 22-8 on the season and 119-52 for her career. Kalina meanwhile improves to 20-10 for the season and 194-65 in her career. Couch paced the Epee squad with 10 wins to improve to 39-18 this season and 96-43 for her career. Lau led the Foil squad with nine wins to move to 24-13 this season and 89-61 for her career.

Hopkins is back in action on Sunday, February 15 at the EWFC Championships in Hoboken, NJ.