June 15, 2006

FAIRFIELD, CT - Sacred Heart head fencing coach Dr. Thomas Vrabel has announced the women's recruiting class for the 2006-07 season. The Pioneers will welcome seven freshman fencers to the women's team this fall.

The Pioneer women's fencing team will welcome four saberists this year. Joining the team will be Laura Amon (Mamaroneck, NY/ Mamaroneck HS), Krista Bacci (Demarest, NJ/Holy Angels Academy), Courtney Perlee (Selden, NY/Newfield HS) and Lisa Ventura (Gladstone,NJ/Bernard HS).

"We were very fortunate to have all of our top saber recruits choose to come to SHU this year," says Vrabel. "This group has excelled at the high school level with several of the fencers earning all league status."

"We have height with 5'9" Laura Amon, a strong left hander in all Suffolk County selection Courtney Perlee, and great quickness in all district selections Krista Bacci and Lisa Ventura." This group will complement senior team captain Liz Mordecai and junior Elise Valerio in giving the Pioneers their strongest women's saber squad in their history.

The women's epee squad welcomes two new additions in Connecticut first team all state selection Alison Roach (Bridgeport CT/ Central HS) and Garden City Long Island stand out Catie Sagevick (Garden City, NY/Garden City HS). Roach is a talented left hander that brings competitive experience in both epee and foil and has the talent to be successful in both weapons.

Sagevick is a powerful fencer that has a great combination of strength and quickness. They will be joining sophomore squad captain and NCAA regional qualifier Mary Dannegger, senior Kate Sullivan and Junior Meghan Ballback on an epee squad with great potential.

Cape Cod foilist Chloe Krueger (South Yarmouth, MA/ Sturgis Charter School) rounds out the recruiting class. Krueger is a student of two time national champion and 1976 Olympic team member Ed Ballinger. She is an exceptional athlete who also has competed in dressage and horse jumping. Vrabel looks forward to her solidifying a foil squad that will be led by junior squad captain Deidre DeSilva, sophomore Alysson DeTroy and double threat freshman Alison Roach.

"I would not be surprised if we start six freshmen this year," says Vrabel. "The team is very young with only two seniors and three juniors on the squad. This group of freshmen will be the nucleus that will take us to our goal of becoming a nationally ranked top twenty program in four years".