HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 6, 2013) – After a strong showing at the Temple Open to start the season, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's fencing team will open its 2013-14 dual-match schedule at New York University Thursday.
 
The Ducks are coming off a 15-11 season, and Head Coach Jim Carpenter has created a very challenging 2013-14 schedule with the goal of having his team and individuals peak at the right time.
 
Senior Anthony Worthington will serve as the team captain this year and will be helped by a trio of weapon leaders in junior Marco Egizi (sabre), junior Jorge Rojas (foil) and a to be determined student-athlete in epee.
 
Epee
Sophomore Logan Koester will be the top epee fencer on the squad and one of the best in Division III this year after winning the Division IA title at the US Fencing Championship. A possible All-American, Koester is eyeing a trip to the NCAA's in mid-March.
 
Sophomore Christopher Moakler is slated in as the No. 4 in epee presently, displaying excellent growth and improvement, and should be in the mix to be in the top-three as the year progresses.
 
Senior Ryan Phillips will add depth in the weapon for Stevens, as will sophomore Kevin Schimek.
 
A talented group of freshmen will make this unit one of the strongest in Stephen Rienzi, Kirk Visser and Bennet Wacaster. Rienzi is very talented and should slot in on the C-strip, with Visser looking like the No. 2 after impressing the coaching staff throughout preseason. Wacaster has been improving and has a ton of natural talent.
 
Junior Valentino Ivezaj and sophomore Jake Dellaria will both be eyeing key bouts as the season progresses.
 
Foil
Foil captain Jorge Rojas is one of the most accomplished fencers in Stevens history. A hard worker, Rojas is hoping he can lead his foil team and the entire group in general to a conference title, eyeing a berth in the NCAA Championships as an individual.
 
Worthington will be a nice asset for the foil squad if he is able to stay healthy. The senior has battled injuries of late, but if he is able, he will certainly be a starter and provide Stevens with a great one-two punch.
 
Senior Michael Creech will also be leaned on as a leader as someone with a strong work ethic and a lot of experience.
 
Sophomore Daniel Tracey is coming off a very solid freshman season and is one of the Ducks' most consistent performers. He currently is slated in at No. 3 in the weapon.
 
Newcomers Timothy Dana and Benjamin Hughes will round out foil for Stevens. Dana is a talented lefty with a lot of upside, while Hughes has shown great natural ability.
 
Sophomore Dominik Jedruszczak will see time as an alternate and provide Coach Carpenter with options in the weapon as will sophomore Vincent Raimondi.
 
Sabre
Egizi – the sabre captain – will lead this group into the season as a starter and strong fencer. A hard worker, Egizi has demonstrated improvement throughout his career and will be a nice fit for the role he will serve.
 
Junior Dave Smith is fighting back from injury and upon his return will add depth to the weapon, as will Demitri Zebroulis throughout the season.
 
Sophomore Zhaoyang Cheng walked on as a freshman and has continued growing quickly. He will be in the mix for a starting job and will definitely earn valuable experience as the season progresses. Sophomore Daniel Cleary is currently in a starting role following a nice rookie year and will surely be a key contributor should Stevens accomplish its goals, while classmate Adam Suter is a tireless worker with his eyes on earning more dual-match nods.
 
Rounding out sabre for Stevens are three freshman in Joseph Falvo, Michael Szczesniak and Nicholas Wiest. Falvo has been very solid in the early going, with Szczesniak currently slotting in at No. 1 in the weapon. The latter started his collegiate career with an excellent performance at the Temple Open. Wiest is another talented newcomer in what is a very deep freshmen class.
 
Stevens will fence excellent competition all year with hopes of peaking in March at the MACFA Championships, the NCAA Regionals and then NCAA Championships.
 
Visit www.StevensDucks.com all season for updates on Stevens men's fencing.