July 2, 2007

FAIRFIELD, CT - Sacred Heart fencing coach Dr. Thomas Vrabel has announced the recruiting class for the 2007-2008 season and is has the greatest depth of experience of any class yet recruited to SHU fencing. The Pioneers will have six newcomers joining the team this fall.

Two-time First Team All-Long Island epeeist Sean McGerveran (Brentwood, NY/Brentwood HS) will join an epee team that returns senior Charles Thompson and sopohomores Brendan Sielaff and Kyle Dee. McGerveran, who holds a B USFA epee rating, was the captain for the Brentwood team that dominated Long Island boys fencing this past season and led them to Long Island championship.

"Sean is a great competitor with a large amount of success at the regional and national level," comments coach Vrabel. "Despite being a strong high school fencer, Sean has great potential for improving his game further and we look for him to be a top competitor nationally throughout his collegiate career."

The saber team will be bolstered with the addition of Alex Tangkilisan (Calabasas, CA/ Chaminade Academy) and Michael DeRose (Garden City, NY/Garden City HS). Both were the captains of their high school teams and DeRose's Garden City team was Suffolk County champions. Tangkilisan is an accomplished competitor in all three weapons, with USFA ratings of D in foil and saber and C in epee, and will start the year on the saber squad.

"Alex has competed internationally in all three weapons and gives us a great dilemma to have regarding where he will fence for the Pioneers," says Vrabel. "His willingness to compete in foil, epee, or saber gives us great flexibility for putting together our strongest starting lineup this year".

DeRose and Tangkilisan join a saber squad which will be led by senior team captain Matthew Laudicina, juniors David Rabinowitz and Christopher Mason, and sophomores Christopher Fabio and Stephan Winard.

"Our depth in saber will give us a lot of flexibility this year," states Vrabel. "I expect some very intense competition for starting positions on this squad".

Three very accomplished foilists will join the foil squad this year- Will Puglisi (Totowa, NJ/Pasaic Valley HS), James Roberts (North Haven, CT/ North Haven HS) and Nathan Quigley (Florence, MA/ Northampton HS) Roberts and Quigley were captains of their high school teams and led them to strong seasons last year.

Puglisi finished his season with a 26-1 record and was a first team all league and all Pasaic County selection. He recently placed sixth in the USFA New Jersey divisional championship and is a C rated foil fencer. Puglisi, who is 6'5" and left handed, brings a strong athletic presence to the team.

Roberts, who was a second team all-state foilist in CT last year and convincingly won the deciding final bout to bring the Connecticut state championship to his North Haven High team, is also an excellent athlete who captained his high school lacrosse team last spring. Roberts is also a C rated foilist with explosive quickness and great tactical ability.

Quigley brings strong expertise in both foil and epee (D rated in both weapons) and has the option of contributing this year in either weapon. This talented group will join junior first team all NEIFC selection Dan Convery-Zupan, junior Jason Manzella and sophomore Nicholas Bentley on the foil squad this season.

"With the addition of this recruiting class we have on paper the strongest team ever to represent SHU in men's fencing," says Vrabel. "Five of the six recruits were team captains in high school and have excellent leadership qualities. Their multi-weapon talents will give us a great amount of flexibility if injuries hit like they did last year. I am very excited about this very young team challenging for the league championship this season."