Nov. 12, 2007

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - Led by a 25-2 performance from the saber squad, the Pioneer women's fencing team rolled to a 3-0 start by defeating Vassar 15-12, CCNY 22-5 and Yeshiva 25-2 on Sunday.

Led by perfect records from Saber squad captain Krista Bacci (9-0) and Anna Hanley (7-0) the saber fencers dominated the competition.

"The saber fencers' excellence was crucial in our beating a strong Vassar team" said head coach Dr. Tom Vrabel.

Freshmen Kayla Cronin came through with two important wins to have the saber squad go 8-1 against the Brewers. Junior Mary Dannegger (epee) and Freshmen Ally Ratis (epee) and JoAnne Siskidis (foil) also stepped up big with two wins each to seal the victory. Sacred Heart's four freshmen starters (Hanley, Cronin, Ratis and Siskidis) had a combined record of 39-3 for the day.

"This group of freshmen has energized our team" said Vrabel. "I look forward to them being solid contributors to our success over the next four years."

In addition, team captain Deidre DeSilva had a strong performance, going 6-3 on the day.

The Pioneer women fencers will be back in action on December 1 when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the University of Pennsylvania.