2015 EWFC Championship

HOBOKEN, NJ - Host Stevens defeated five-time defending champion Johns Hopkins, 15-12, in the final bout to claim the 2015 Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC) Championship Sunday. The Blue Jays finished with a 6-1 record in the dual meet portion of the championship as they improved to 9-13 on the season. In addition, sophomore Katherine Couch earned Epee Fencer of the Year honors and five other Blue Jays earned All-EWFC honors. Hopkins also garnered Top Epee squad honors at the championship for the first time in program history.

Hopkins opened the day with an 18-9 win over Haverford as the Blue Jays claimed victories in the Foil and Sabre. Junior Rachel Viqueira led the Foil squad with a 3-0 record as it won 7-2. The Fords edged the Jays, 5-4, in the Epee with Couch picking up a pair of wins for JHU. In the Sabre, senior Rachel Kalina and junior Isabella So combined for six wins as Hopkins won 7-2.

JHU then defeated Vassar, 21-6, with wins in all three weapons. The Foil squad pulled out a 5-4 win with Viqueira clinching the win in the eighth bout. She won all three of her bouts to lead the way for the Jays. Hopkins then cruised to 8-1 wins in both the Epee and Sabre. Couch and senior Gianna Puzzo led the Epee squad with three wins each, while Kalina and So did so for the Sabre squad.

Hopkins followed with a 20-7 win over Hunter, with wins in the Epee (9-0) and Sabre (7-2). The Hawks won the final two bouts in the Foil to grab a 5-4 win over the Jays. Viqueira and senior Ilana Regenbogen each won two bouts for JHU's Foil squad. In the Epee, Puzzo, Couch and sophomore Charlotte Green combined to win all nine of their bouts for Hopkins. So led the Sabre squad to victory by going 3-0.

In the next round, Hopkins defeated City College of New York, 18-9. The Beavers took a 7-2 win in the Foil while Viqueira had a pair of wins for the Blue Jays. Hopkins bounced back with wins in the Epee (7-2) and Sabre (9-0). Puzzo once again led the Epee squad with three wins. And in the Sabre, it was So, sophomore Nancy Kim and freshman Kathleen Demaria combining for the victory. Hopkins then beat Yeshiva 25-2 with a sweep of all three weapons. Regenbogen, Viqueira and freshman Elizabeth Konopacki combined for nine wins for JHU in the Foil. While Puzzo, Couch and Green turned the same trick in the Epee. So led JHU to a 7-2 win in the Sabre with three wins while Kim and Demaria each had a pair.

JHU followed with a 22-5 win over Drew in round six. Viqueira and Regenbogen each won three bouts as the Blue Jays earned an 8-1 win in the Foil. The Blue Jays then swept the Epee behind Couch, Puzzo and Green. And in the Sabre, Kim and Demaria each won a pair of bouts while Kim clinched the 5-4 win in the final bout. Hopkins then squared off against an unbeaten Stevens squad for the conference title. The Ducks took the Foil by an 8-1 score and the Blue Jays grabbed a 5-4 win in the Epee. Couch and Green each won two bouts and Couch clinched the win in the ninth bout. Hopkins also won the Sabre, 6-3, but it wasn't enough to overcome the loss in the Epee. Kalina led the Sabre squad with three wins while So had two.

In the individual competition, Couch went 4-0 to earn EWFC Epee Fencer of the Year honors. In addition, Green posted a 3-1 record and Puzzo went 1-1 as each earned First Team EWFC accolades. In the Sabre competition, So finished with a 3-1 record and First Team EWFC honors. And in the Foil, Viqueira earned second team all-conference honors with a 1-1 mark while Regenbogen went 0-1.

Hopkins returns to action on March 7 at the 2015 NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional.