Fencing Winning Streak in Jeopardy

The 2018 boys’ fencing season kicks off against Information Technology HS on September 26. Last season, the team finished first in their division with an unblemished 10-0 record and placed first in the city in the epee subdivision. Undefeated in the regular season for 16 years and the winning team of several city championships, the boys’ fencing team has established a winning culture through years of success.

But this season, the boys’ fencing team’s winning streak is in jeopardy. While 10 players are returning to the team, only one of them was a starter last season. Five of the former six starters were seniors and have now graduated. Out of those seniors, three of them had fencing ratings, which are given to players who are competitive fencers in national competitions. None of the returning players this year are rated.

“It will be a rebuilding year. We have one former starter. It is hard to predict how far we will go. Maybe we will get lucky,” coach Joel Winston said. He is certain that the team will be able to climb into the playoffs, but how far they will go after that is an uncertainty.

“Our greatest threat is Beacon,” Winston said. Beacon is a new addition to Division II Manhattan/Queens, after being moved from the Manhattan/Bronx Division III after an 8-2 season last year. The team has three rated players compared to Stuyvesant’s zero. Because of these changes and the loss of much of Stuyvesant’s core, Winston senses that the boys’ fencing team’s regular season win streak may come to an end.

For the upcoming season, Winston is seeking committed, competitive new players who look to win during tryouts. “Usually I take four to five new players, but this year is an interesting situation,” he said. “I am not expecting to win a championship this year. In two years we should be able to grab it.” In the midst of a rebuilding season, Winston still sees the championship-caliber culture returning to Stuyvesant.

Senior Albert Zhang remains optimistic and says he expects the team to “continue [their] 16 year win streak in the regular season.”

His teammate, senior and captain Taaseen Ali, echoed his words. “We lost a bunch of incredibly talented seniors last year, so the future for our team is looking a bit uncertain right now,” he said. “Honestly, it's kind of scary knowing that the things I say and do have the potential to make or break a team that's consistently had a reputation for delivering on the strip. Personally, I just want to make sure that I can do whatever my team needs me to do, whether that's coming back from a 30 touch deficit or just being there to give advice during a dinner. Ideally we'd go undefeated this season like we normally do; however, I think it's more important that we can cultivate a team bond that lasts a lifetime.”

Ali has embraced the culture that Stuyvesant’s fencing team brings with it. He will try all he can do to help steer his team far into the playoffs and, like Zhang, wants to keep the regular season win record intact. With their stretch of undefeated regular season play at risk, Winston and Stuyvesant are not going to back down from the challenge.