Blue Fencing Goes 6-0 at NFC #3; Earns Program's First 20-Win Season Since 2010-11

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Wellesley College fencing put together a perfect 6-0 record at the third Northeast Fencing Conference meet of the season on Saturday at Smith College. Wellesley defeated: Dartmouth, UMass, Smith, Vassar, Boston University, and Tufts to improve to 20-9 on the season. Wellesley's 20-win campaign is the first for the program since 2010-11.

First year Julia Calventus-Coveney (Barcelona, Spain) went 16-0 in epee to lead the Blue, finishing the team season with a staggering 65-9 record. Classmate Lauren Park (Wayne, N.J.) was 13-4 to pace the sabre squad, while sophomore Brie Maurer (Fredericksburg, Va.) posted a 15-2 mark to lead Wellesley's foil fencers. 

Wellesley 17, Dartmouth 10

The Blue earned 6-3 wins in foil and epee and scraped out a 5-4 win in sabre to defeat the Big Green. Maurer and first year Lucille Tsao (Succasunna, N.J.) were each 2-1 in epee, while Calventus-Coveney and classmate Corinne Wilklow (Fairfield, Conn.) posted records of 3-0 and 2-0 in epee. In sabre, Park and senior Madeleine Barowsky (Framingham, Mass.) each finished 2-1. 

Wellesley 24, UMass 3

Wellesley stormed past UMass in the second round match-up between the two teams. The Blue swept both foil and sabre and earned a 6-3 win in epee. Maurer, Calventus-Coveney, Barowsky, first year Molly McLachlan (Chapel Hill, N.C.), and sophomore Meg Harney (Wilmette, Ill.) each went 3-0 in their respective weapons.

Wellesley 18, Smith 9

Paced by a 7-2 win in sabre and a 6-3 win in foil, Wellesley defeated the host Pioneers, 18-9. The Blue had to battle for a 5-4 win in epee, as the weapon came down to the final bout. With Wellesley leading 4-2 after the opening six bouts, Smith countered with back-to-back wins to open the third round, tying the match 4-4. However, Calventus-Coveney sealed the win for Wellesley in her final bout.

Wellesley 18, Vassar 9

Tsao posted a 3-0 mark in foil to lead the Blue to a 7-2 win in the weapon en route to an 18-9 win over their Seven Sisters rivals. Wellesley also earned a 6-3 win in epee and needed all nine bouts to take a 5-4 win in sabre, as Park clinched the win, and a 3-0 record, in her final match-up. 

Wellesley 22, Boston University 5 

The Blue blitzed the Terriers in a 22-5 rout, winning foil 8-1 and taking both epee and sabre by 7-2 finals. Wellesley opened both foil and sabre with seven straight victories, while winning six bouts by default against a shorthanded BU epee squad.

Wellesley 18, Tufts 9

Wellesley capped the day with another 18-9 victory, this time defeating local rival Tufts. Maurer added her third 3-0 round of the afternoon to lead Wellesley to a 6-3 win in foil. Wellesley picked up an 8-1 win in epee after winning six matched by default, but he Jumbos dealt the Blue their only setback of the day in sabre, winning 5-4 despite a 2-1 round by Park. 

Wellesley will return to action in two weeks at the NEIFC Championships, Febraury 24, beginning at 9:00 AM at Mount Holyoke College.