On Feb. 8, Card Gym at Duke University in Durham, N.C. transformed into a maze of mats that featured several of the top NCAA Division I fencing squads, including the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins University and the United States Air Force Academy.

Five Brandeis University men's foilists-captain Julian Cardillo '14, Ethan Levy '15, Noah Berman '15, Toby Gray '16 and Len Grazian '17-entered the maze on a mission.

"The goal since the start of the season had been to go toe-to-toe with some of the best Division I squads in the country: Sacred Heart University, Yale University, Duke University and the University of North Carolina," said Cardillo.

Card Gym presented an opportunity to achieve that goal, and on that February day, the foilists-along with the rest of the Brandeis fencing squads-seized it.

Cardillo, Berman and Levy went a combined 8-1, and for the first time since 2006, the Judges left Durham with a 15-12 win against the host Blue Devils and a 17-10 victory against the UNC Tar Heels.

"Everyone clicked together at Duke ... you don't have to rely on just one squad, but you can trust everyone-the epeeists and saberists included-to excel," Levy said.

"At the end of the day, the five of us are hard-nosed competitors who don't like to lose."

Since an initial 32-8 showing from the foilists at the New England Fall Collegiate Championships on Nov. 2, that has proven to be the case.

It was at Duke, though, where something happened-where Cardillo's vision became a reality.

"It blew me away" he said. "We took it to a whole new level at Duke and it is my belief that this is the best team since I've been here."

Three years earlier, as Cardillo strode onto the fencing mats at Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, he joined a team comprised largely of upperclassmen.

He then witnessed a transformation that began in fall 2011 with two new foil recruits. Berman, a former soccer player-turned-fencer, arrived from the local clubs at Stanford University and Levy, after turning to the sport in ninth grade, entered Brandeis with just four years of fencing experience.

There were two spots to fill, though, in creating this ideal squad.

Enter Gray, a walk-on to the team in 2012 who, as Levy said, "has grown so much and emerged as a real threat in meets."

And enter Grazian, the promising rookie out of the Chicago fencing clubs who won his first seven collegiate matches and took down Michele Caporizzi, the Italian national world champion, in December.

Berman noted that the foil squad represents an ideal mix of "elder statesmen" and rising stars.

"This team is really young and that is good for prosperity," he explained.

"But having elder statesmen is helpful," he continued, "especially to pass down knowledge of the sport, a critical mental edge and what to expect from each tournament."

Also, for the first time in three years, depth no longer proved to be an issue. Grazian and Gray now had the ability to step in and secure major victories along with-and sometimes in place of-the three starters.

By Jan. 25, at the second Northeast Conference Meet, the five foilists-along with the rest of the Brandeis fencers-were ready to hit the ground running against top foes.

That they did.

The squad compiled a 33-9 record at that meet and the foundation had been set: not only for wins over Duke and UNC, but also, a second consecutive first-place finish at the New England Collegiate Championships and a bronze medal at the United States Collegiate Squad Championships.

"This all comes down to the fact that we have really good depth," added Cardillo. "We have the experience to know what it takes to compete at that level."

Their success also comes down to coach Bill Shipman's 30-plus years of experience at the helm of the Brandeis fencing squads.

"He is so knowledgeable about the sport which is helpful for the younger fencers," Gray added. "Most importantly, he knows when and when not to step in."

The foil squad now approaches the NCAA Regional Championships at Wellesley College on Sunday in a landmark position.

Even in a division that, in featuring half of the U.S. National Team, is reputed to be the toughest in the tournament, Cardillo and Berman are both well-positioned to secure bids to the National Tournament later this month. Levy, Gray and Grazian, with their recent successes, are also prepared to use that momentum to make a statement.

However, there is a caveat ahead.

For Cardillo, this is the end of the maze of collegiate fencing.

Even as he prepares to graduate and the Judges lose their senior captain, the foilists are ready to build on the transformation that he started.

"Everyone on foil has improved year after year," said Grazian.

"As long as we continue to push each other, [Cardillo's] legacy will be intact and we can keep this trend going."

Consider this the foil squad's next mission to accomplish.
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