PHILADELPHIA – The Drew University men's fencing team earned a victory in epee over Duke University, highlighting the day for the Rangers on Sunday at the ultra-competitive Philadelphia Invitational, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.
 
All six of the Rangers' opponents – Princeton, Penn, Penn State, Duke, Columbia, and NYU – finished among the top-17 at the last year's combined men's and women's NCAA Championship, including five who were in the top-nine.
 
Though Drew did not earn a team victory, the epee squad picked up two wins on the day, including its aforementioned 5-4 win over Duke. Senior Lucas Alfaiate led the charge with a 3-0 showing versus the Blue Devils while classmate Julio Arias went 2-0.
 
The epee squad also defeated NYU 5-4, with senior Lorence Lukanyuk (2-0) and junior Danny Stevens (2-1) earning two wins each and junior Zack Zukofsky winning once.
 
On the day, the epee team collected 21 victories, with Alfaiate posting a solid 9-7 mark. Arias added four wins on the day while Stevens picked up three victories.
 
In foil, senior Charles Daum led the way with four wins, including two versus Penn State, while sophomore Henri Degremont added three victories.
 
The sabre squad was fronted by senior Aiden Holmes, who registered three wins on the day.
 
The Rangers continue their season on Sunday, Feb. 4 at the Wagner Invitational.