The men's and women's fencing squads went into their meet at home last Sunday looking to build upon their notable performances from their last meet at the University of New Hampshire. However, at the end of the day, it was certainly a different story. The women's and men's teams were both winless, going 0-5 and 0-4 on the day, respectively.

The Judges hosted Yale University, Brown University, St. John's University, Cornell University and the University of North Carolina at the meet. The men opened up the day against Brown. Brandeis was able to defeat Brown 5-4 in saber but lost 5-4 to their opponent in foil and 7-2 in épée. The Judges also fell victim to Yale early on, getting swept 5-4 in saber, 5-4 in foil and 7-2 in épée.

Despite the two losses, captain and épéeist Alex Powell '12 still commended the team's perseverance and dedication against Yale and Brown.

"It didn't go as we planned, but everyone on the team fenced very hard and we can't fault ourselves for not getting those victories," said Powell. "It just didn't go our way."

The men also took on North Carolina and St. John's. The Judges were able to defeat UNC in saber 6-3, but lost 17-10 overall. Brandeis lost in all three weapons against St. John's, falling by scores of 6-3 in saber, 8-1 in foil and 6-3 in épée.

Coach Bill Shipman viewed the tournament as a way for the team to build and improve for the future.

"We need to do better in tactics, especially in foil. We were outsmarted quite a few times. But I think these guys understand what it takes to win at this level and higher. They did it, sometimes. They can make that transition. It'll benefit us in the long run."

The centerpiece of the day for the men was Powell's bout against St. John's fencer Marat Israelian, a two-time defending NCAA champion. Powell was able to defeat Israelian 5-3 in what proved to be a thrilling match.

He was very pleased with the outcome of the bout and his overall performance throughout the day.

"He's the two-time reigning NCAA champion and definitely the best fencer here," Powell said. "It's weird; one day, you could lose to a beginner fencer and then you step your game up, and you're the big guy. But I played hard every bout, and I can't be too upset that I did lose some bouts."

Shipman praised Powell for his performance in the bout.

"It was a great accomplishment," he said. "Alex is a good enough fencer to be able to get himself up and be able to fence with anyone in the country."

The women started off their day of matches against Brown and Cornell. The Judges were unable to take any weapons from Brown, losing 5-4 in saber, 7-2 in foil and 8-1 in épée for a total 20-7 defeat. Brandeis suffered a loss by the same margin against Cornell.

Despite early defeats, Shipman explained the women's effort would pay off in the long run.

"The women were a little bit outmatched," he said. "For them, this was really preparation for later in the season, but this was a positive experience."

The women's team went on to face Yale and North Carolina. The Judges failed to take any weapons from their opponents, losing 16-11 and 19-8, respectively. The women suffered a resounding 26-1 defeat against St. John's to round out the final performance of the meet.

Saberist Deborah Rothbard '14 was impressed with the team's courage during the tournament.

"I think we are a good team," she said. "Today just happens to be a conglomeration of a lot of very good teams. I think this will serve us better in the future. Also, we can scope out the freshmen and see who's good. But I'd say it's a rough day."

Foilist Vikki Nunley '13 agreed with Rothbard.

"We had really good teams lumped into one day. Usually we have some easier teams and harder teams and it's more even. But everyone tried their hardest, and that's all I care about."

The fencing teams have concluded in their competition for the semester. However, the Judges will return on Jan. 28 for the second Northeast Conference Meet of the season, which will be held at Boston College.