The men's and women's fencing squads would not be foiled in their opening regular season meet last Saturday. Traveling to the University of New Hampshire, the squads squared off against Sacred Heart University, Boston University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Wellesley College and host UNH.

The men came out of the meet with an impressive 4-1 mark, while the women also fared well with a 4-2 record.

Foilist Vikki Nunley '13 earned UAA Athlete of the Week honors for the women with a 16-1 record, sweeping her opponents from BU, Wellesley, and UNH. Epeeist Kristen Ha posted a notable 13-5 record for epee and Zoe Messinger went 14-3 on saber.

On the men's side, rookie sabreist Adam Mandel '15 and sophomore foilist Julian Cardillo '14 were recognized as UAA Athletes of the Week. Mandel went a perfect 11-0 while Cardillo notched a 14-1 record. Alex Powell was 11-3 with epee.

Sabreist Ben Schmidt '14 was impressed with both teams' dedication during the meet.

"We were focused throughout the entire day," said Schmidt. "It was a good all-around effort. We solidified everything we've learned over the last few months."

Sabreist Zoe Messinger '13 was also satisfied with the squads' performances last Saturday.

"Overall, it was a successful day," said Messinger. "We fenced very difficult schools; we tried very hard, and that effort showed."

The men's team held three of its opponents to single digits, notching a 26-1 rout over BU as well as a 23-4 victory over UMass and a 20-7 win over UNH.

MIT, however, would not make it that easy for the Judges. The Engineers came out with their best effort, but the Judges ultimately prevailed by one bout.

The men's team suffered its only defeat at the end of the day to Sacred Heart, losing for the second consecutive year in a row to the Pioneers, this time by an 18-9 margin.

Schmidt noted that the men's lack of energy was evident in the match.

"Sacred Heart was the strongest team there," said Schmidt. "These matches are winnable, though; it is just important for us to keep our energy level up throughout the course of meets."

The women's fencing team had a tougher time, earning a 4-2 record last Saturday. After tallying notable 18-9 and 19-8 victories against UMass and UNH, respectively, the Judges ran into trouble against their next three opponents. Brandeis faced a tough fight from BU, pulling through by an 11-6 margin.

The women's fencing team suffered both losses from the same schools that plagued the men's team. While the men were able to pull off a thrilling victory against the Engineers, the women were not able to do the same, falling to MIT by a 18-9 score. Likewise, the women's team was defeated by Sacred Heart by a score of 18-9.

Messinger figured though it was a good learning experience for the younger fencers.

"MIT is a very difficult school," she said. "They are one of our biggest opponents. This was essentially our trial run for major matches such as these, given we have a lot of new fencers. They will stand to benefit later in the season, however, from having such a learning experience."

"Sacred Heart is always a tough challenge, and today was no different," said Messinger. "Ultimately, we did the best we could and that is all that matters."

Overall, Schmidt was optimistic about the prospects for both squads throughout the rest of the season, especially given the youth on each team.

"The key here is experience. A lot of our fencers are relatively young, and I think it was great that our team was able to do so well in spite of that. Saturday was a good step in the learning process for our young fencers.

Like Schmidt, Messinger also believes that both teams have a high potential to fulfill this season.

"I have a good feeling this will be a great season for both teams involved."

The men's and women's teams will strive to continue their success at the Brandeis Invitational on Dec. 5, facing off against Yale University, St. Johns University, Brown University and Cornell University.