A weekend of success for the fencing team culminated in a historic moment: For the first time in University history, the men's épée squad captured the title at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championships Saturday in Princeton, N.J.The trophy seized by the men's épée squad is among the oldest in college sports, and it has rotated among an exclusive group of winning clubs since the 1920s. For the Judges, it forecasts a potentially bright future.

"Capturing the trophy gives [the épée team] hopes for years to come," épée Will Bedor '10 said.

The entire men's team finished fourth out of 11 teams at the tournament with 50 points, with the foil and saber squads both coming in seventh place. The women's team finished eighth out of 12, with 41 points. The Judges' combined 91 points was good for a composite finish of sixth place.

The épée team, led by a career-defining performance by Drew Sofer '07, outdueled some of the elite fencing programs in the nation, including perennial powerhouses Harvard University, Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania. Sofer went a perfect 10-0 on the day, while Bedor and Kai Keller '07 contributed seven and five victories, respectively, as the squad combined for a 22-8 record.

Sofer, competing in his final collegiate tournament, ended his Brandeis career on top.

"This is the best I've fenced in a really long time," Sofer, who overcame a serious injury in his junior year, said. "I couldn't have done any better. It's a very nice feeling to execute and finally put it all together."

"[Sofer] fenced the best he has since his freshman year," coach Bill Shipman said.

Sofer's performance earned him a berth in the ensuing individual tournament, where the top 16 epée fencers go head-to-head in a single elimination competition.

In the first round, Sofer scored a 13-12 victory in sudden-death overtime against UPenn sophomore Ben Weider. He ultimately exited in the round of eight and finished 8th place in the tournament.

Despite his individual accolades, Sofer was more impressed with the team's achievement.

"I'll remember the team's performance more than my individual accomplishments," Sofer said. "It's unbelievable to end on a positive note."

Bedor continued his impressive rookie campaign, defeating seven of the 10 fencers he faced. With Sofer and Keller set to graduate this spring, Bedor's development is encouraging for the future of the epée squad.

Keller faced the best fencers each team had to offer, participating in the épée's top pool. He was most pleased with the team's 3-0 record against Harvard.

"I'm really proud of [defeating Harvard]," said Keller. "Harvard is strong and usually a lot better than us."

The women were paced by a 5th-place showing from the foil squad, which contributed 19 of the team's 41 victories. The saber and épée teams finished ninth and 10th out of 12 teams, respectively. Stefanie Aucoin '08 led the women with a 7-4 performance in the foil A-pool, including victories against Princeton University and Yale.

"[Aucoin] is a very smart and tactical fencer," Shipman said.

"I did really well against top competition," Aucoin said. "I don't usually get to fence against Ivy League and Division I schools that often."

Jessie Newhall '09 also had a 5-1 record in foil.

"We were overmatched against every team we fenced today," Newhall said. "The fact that we can compete so well is amazing. Our team has come so far."

This was the last teamwide tournament for the fencing teams this season, as the Judges' individual fencers turn their sights to the NCAA regional tournament at Tufts University Sunday, with berths in the NCAA Championships on the line.