Blue Fencing Posts 5-1 Record at Northeast Fencing Conference Meet #3

MEDFORD, Mass. -- Wellesley College fencing put together one of the team's best performances of the year at the third Northeast Fencing Conference meet of the season on Saturday at Tufts University. The Blue earned five-straight victories, defeating UMass, Dartmouth, Smith, Vassar and Boston University, before falling in a narrow defeat to the host Jumbos.

Wellesley ends the team competition portion of their 2016-17 schedule with a record of 16-14, the most wins for the program since the 2010-11 edition of the Blue went 22-5.

First year Brie Maurer (Fredericksburg, Va.) led the way for the Blue with a dominating 16-2 record in foil on Saturday. In epee, junior Emma Brewer-Wallin (Salem, Ore.) and sophomore Cassandra Cronin (Johns Creek, Ga.) combined to go 28-7, with Brewer-Walling posting a 14-3 record and Cronin going 14-4. Junior Madeleine Barowsky (Framingham, Mass.) finished with a 14-4 mark in sabre, while junior Taylor Hood (Lexington, Ky.) also added a record of 13-5 in foil.

Wellesley 21, UMass 6

The Blue eased past UMass in the opening round, earning 7-2 wins in every weapon en route to the 21-6 victory. Junior Taylor Hood (Lexington, Ky.) and Maurer each went 3-0 to lead the foil squad, while Brewer-Wallin and Cronin posted 3-0 marks in epee. In sabre, senior Jasmine Davis (Long Valley, N.J.) was 3-0, while sophomore Meg Harney (Wilmette, Ill.) and Barowsky both went 2-1.  

Wellesley 15, Dartmouth 12

Wellesley faced a stern test in round two, but emerged with a 15-12 victory over the Big Green on the strength of a 5-4 win in foil and a 6-3 triumph in sabre. Dartmouth earned a 5-4 win in epee. Maurer keyed the Blue victory in foil, going 3-0 for the second-straight round. Hood added the remaining two wins. In sabre, Davis, Barowsky and Harney each earned two wins to secure the 6-3 final. While in epee, Brewer-Wallin and Cronin each went 2-1 in the setback.  

Wellesley 17, Smith 10

The Blue continued to roll in the third round, winning both epee and sabre by 6-3 margins and foil by a 5-4 score to defeat Smith by a 17-10 final. In epee, Cronin finished with a 2-1 mark, while Brewer Wallin went 2-0 and sophomore Malak Alsayyad (Cairo, Egypt) added a 2-1 record. The sabre crew of Davis, Barowsky and Harney all went 2-1 in their bouts, while Maurer was perfect for the third-straight round in foil and Hood again added two wins to earn the Blue the victory.

Wellesley 14, Vassar 13

A fourth-round bye did little to slow Wellesley's momentum, as the Blue returned in the fifth round to earn the squad's first victory over Vassar since the 2006-2007 campaign. Despite a 2-1 record from Maurer, Vassar took a 6-3 win in foil. The Brewers also earned a narrow 5-4 win in epee, but Wellesley countered with a 7-2 win in sabre to win the round, as Barowsky led the sabre squad with a 3-0 mark and Davis and Harney each posted 2-1 records.

Wellesley 22, Boston University 5

The Blue breezed past BU in the sixth round, winning foil and sabre by 7-2 scores and taking epee by an 8-1 count. Hood and Maurer each went undefeated against a shorthanded foil side for the Terriers. In epee, Brewer-Wallin and Cronin added 3-0 marks and first year Calla Nelles-Sager (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was 2-1. The sabre trio closed out the round with Barowsky again going 3-0 and Davis and Harney posting 2-1 records.

Tufts 14, Wellesley 13

The Blue finished one bout short of a perfect day on Saturday, falling to host Tufts by a 14-13 score in final round action. Tufts earned a 5-4 win in foil and sent the Wellesley sabre squad to their only defeat, 5-4, in the matchup. The Blue countered with a 5-4 win in epee. Maurer and Hood finished the day with 2-1 records in foil, while Barowsky and Harney both went 2-1 in sabre. In the epee victory, Cronin went 3-0 and Brewer-Wallin went 2-1 for the Blue.

Wellesley fencers will now head to the annual NEIFC New England Championship, set to be held on Sunday, March 5, at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vt.