Nov. 19, 2006

HOBOKEN, NJ - New Jersey Institute of Technology opened its 2006-07 men's fencing season on Sunday and came away with a close win over Hunter in all-day competition hosted by Stevens Institute of Technology.

The Highlanders edged Hunter, 14-13, and also competed against Stevens, Johns Hopkins and Yeshiva, sustaining defeats against those squads.

In defeating Hunter, NJIT was a 6-3 winner in the foil and a 5-4 winner in the sabre, while Hunter won the epee, 6-3.

Gary Dishuk won all three of his bouts to lead the win in the foil. Rob Tani, an NCAA regional qualifier last spring, did the same in the sabre, as the Highlanders scored the narrow 5-4 win against Hunter.

Yeshiva topped the Highlanders, 20-7. Tani accounted for two of the NJIT points, winning two of his three sabre bouts. In the foil, Dishuk won one bout and sustained hard-fought 5-4 defeats in his other two bouts. Paolo DeGuia and Javier Vasques also won a bout each in the foil. James DeRosa earned a point in the epee.

Johns Hopkins was a 23-4 winner against NJIT, with three of the Highlanders' points coming in the sabre--two from Tani. Steve Kum also won a bout. NJIT's other point in the match was on a win DeRosa in the epee. Tani's sabre victory gave NJIT its only point against Stevens.