Men’s Fencing Has High Expectations for 2007-08 Season

HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 3, 2007) – After making huge strides in the 2005-06 season with an 11-4 season record, Head Coach Mika'il Sankofa (Freeport, N.Y.) had his sights set on conference championships and an improved NCAA regional performance for the team in the 2006-07 season. In order to accomplish this feat, the schedule was made tougher by adding matches with the likes of powerhouse teams such as Ohio State, Columbia, Yale and St. John's universities. While overall victories were not realized (7-14 last season), individual victories were numerous and the experience galvanized the team towards an improved performance at the Middle Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association Championships, which were held at William & Mary College.

First to showcase their improvement were the men's foil squad of Lowden Charles (Greenburgh, N.Y.), Ben Hochberg (Marlboro, N.J.) and Mike Lang (Branchburg, N.J.), who took the MACFA Foil Team Championship which Stevens had not won since 1979. Next was the sabre squad of Matt Paragano (Bernardsville, N.J./Bernards), Brian Weiner (Baltimore, Md.), and David Barth (Baltimore, Md.), who won the MACFA Sabre Team Championship which Stevens last won in 1984. The last time the school won two conference titles was 1972. In the overall title race, Stevens took second and missed edging out the eventual conference champion Haverford College by one bout, 94-93.

In epee, Stevens received a strong performance from sophomore Josue Saintiche (Queens, N.Y.) and freshman Steven DiPaola (Somers, N.Y.). The epee team peaked at the conference championship en route to a third-place finish.

Stevens received a number of great individual results as the Ducks produced seven finalists, which was the most of any competing school.  In foil, Hochberg and Charles finished in second and third place, respectively.  In sabre, Barth was third overall while Weiner came in fourth.  In epee, DiPaola finished up in third place.

This year, the team will be led by juniors Hochberg and Charles, who were elected co-captains of the team. In 2006-07 season, both fencers showed strong leadership skills at the MACFA championships and during the regular season. They also finished strong at the NCAA Regionals with Charles having finished in 12th place and Hochberg having placed 16th overall. Both have a shot at the overall individual MACFA title this year and will also be strong contenders for the NCAA finals at the end of the season.

The sabre squad will be led by senior Weiner and sophomore Barth. Both come off great seasons at the MACFA's and have improved tremendously as a tandem force for the squad. Their continued improvement will be essential for recapturing the MACFA title for a second straight season.

In epee, the team will turn to sophomore DiPaola to lead a squad of freshman with the goal of improving on the team's third-place finish at MACFA's last year.

Coach Sankofa has chosen to toughen the schedule yet again this year by adding a dual meet against another tough squad - University of Pennsylvania, while holding a second home meet that will have the Ducks competing against Sacred Heart University.