The Drew University fencing teams returned to campus in mid-January anxious to start their season after a long pandemic shutdown. The teams began conditioning practices on Jan. 12 and have been hard at work ever since in preparation for their season openers this coming Saturday against Sacred Heart University (NCAA Division I).

With their season schedule abbreviated by the pandemic, the fencing teams will see limited action and all events will be at home in Simon Forum. Their opponents will include NCAA Division I opponents Boston College, Sacred Heart, St. John's University, Long Island University, Lafayette College and New Jersey Institute of Technology as well as NCAA Division III rivals Stevens Institute of Technology and Yeshiva University.

"We are just happy to be back to live fencing," said a smiling Head Coach Vincent Paragano. "We told our players that, with everything going on in the world around us, just getting back on campus was a major victory. We are going to use this season to build for the future – and the future looks very, very good."

This season's men's team will feature senior saberist (and 2020 team MVP) Luca Rampazzo and junior foilist William Badrigian. Rampazzo will anchor a saber squad that includes returning fencers Zachary Wolin, Eric Dreitlein, Jake KurtzFreilich, Michael Malatesta and team captain Karl Topf. For Topf, the return to action follows a long off-season rehab from a mid-season knee injury last year. Joining them will be freshmen Michael Parkhurst and Ethan Trent.

Badrigian is coming back from a knee injury that he suffered in November 2019 during the Drew Rangers Holiday Invitational. He underwent surgery and a long course of rehabilitation.

"Badrigian has worked like mad to get ready for the season. He looks even better than he was before the injury," said Paragano. "However, the real proof will be how he performs against Sacred Heart. SHU has a dynamite foil squad. If Will can hold his own against them, he should be good for the entire season."

Joining Badrigian on the foil line will be returning starters Drew Laun, DJ Gulbin-Murphy, Michael George and Michael Bickford. The squad will also feature some talented newcomers in sophomore transfer Michael DeSando and freshmen Charles Daum and Jay Khandelwal.

Epee will be largest of the three weapons groups, adding seven freshmen including Julio Arias from Panama and EJ James from Florida. They will follow the lead of a very strong group of returners including team leaders Topher Infinito and Nicholas Panarin.

"If our matches come down to a battle of epee squads, we probably win," added Paragano.  "[Epee Coach] Michael Bindas has done a marvelous job getting them ready for action."

The women's team will open against their counterparts from Sacred Heart in Simon Forum on Saturday. This year's team will have a distinctly different look from last year.

With last year's captain and team MVP Emily Huber taking a virtual semester and promising sophomore Candace Zola sidelined with lingering injury issues, the saber squad will feature some new players and will rely on some returners to pick up the slack.

Junior transfer Hannah Weinstein has moved in from University of Maryland to help provide some punch in saber. She will help bolster a line that includes returning saberists Olivia Yepez and Emily Jones as well as freshmen Maggie Kistner and Celina Kowalski.

According to new Assistant Coach Keri Ecker, "Hannah comes to us with a lot of experience from her days at Maryland. We have seen major improvement by Olivia and Emily. We hope that the duo of Kistner and Kowalski can step up - they have the talent. Now we just have to put them to the test against some quality opponents. We will take whatever they can add."

Meanwhile, the epee squad will be headed by team leader Sophia McGee and will feature freshmen Lauren Miglietta and Caira Blake. Sydney Sieb will be moving over from foil to epee to provide some depth. Juniors Grace McCarthy and Rebecca Safi are not available this season.

"We feel good about the direction of the women's epee squad. The addition of Lauren and Caira comes just at the right time," said Bindas. "Lauren has been the biggest and best surprise of the off-season. Both Lauren and Caira should make a great 1-2 punch for the next several years. If we can get our usual quality effort from Sophia, we will be in good shape."

By far, the biggest question mark of the women's season comes down to foil. With the departure of last year's foil star Lydia Segal to graduation, senior Nayah Ferris (virtual semester) and the absence of consistent performer Lauren Rusk (virtual semester), the foil squad will need to rely on returners Ashley Abreu and Emma-Li Downer and freshman Ashley George.

"The women's team was hurt the most by the loss of some quality starters from last year's roster due to COVID concerns. We are looking at this as a way of giving quality playing time and building strength with some of the players will be relying on for the several years. Ultimately, this could be a blessing in disguise," said Paragano.