PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- At the first Northeast Fencing Conference meet of the 2017-18 season, the Brandeis University teams posted a combined 11-1 record. The Brandeis men went 5-0 as they look to defend their 2016-17 title, while the women sit in a four-way tie for first place after going 6-1. 

For the men, the best weapon performances came from foil and saber, who both went unbeaten on the day at 5-0. The saber fencers lost just four bouts, while the foilists lost just five. The closest of the Judges' five matches came against MIT, where they picked up a 16-11 win. They also defeated Sacred Heard, 17-10.

Top individuals included sophomore saber fencer Leon Rotenstein (Ashland, Mass./Ashland), who went 7-0  with a win over MIT NCAA qualifier and New England Champion Pat Wong; senior foil fencer Elishua Litle (Haifa, Israel/ Reali - Beit Beram), who also went 7-0 with a win over Sacred Heart NCAA qualifier Tyler Endee, and senior Kyle Berney (Shreveport, La./Caddo Magnet), who posted a team-high in wins for the saber squad, going 8-1.

The women pulled out three close matches, edging Boston U, MIT and Sacred Heart all by 15-12 scores. They also lost to their rivals from Wellesley, 13-14, the team's only defeat on the day, despite winning both foil and epee, 6-3. The foil squad was unbeaten with three 9-0 performances and a 5-4 edge over MIT. Epee lost just one match on the day, going 6-1. Top individuals on the women's side were junior foil fencer Joanne Carminucci (Brewster, N.Y. / North Salem), who went 16-1, while classmate and foil fencer Renee Pite (Woodbridge, Conn. / Amity Regional) went 12-3.

The Judges return to action on Sunday, December 3, with the Brandeis Invitational