When Northwestern fans think of which sports to watch at what’s been dubbed as “Chicago’s Big Ten School,” fencing likely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But coach Zach Moss and his talented squad of sword-slingers have dutifully built a legacy of success in the shadows.
Moss knows his sport isn’t the most highly-demanded by spectators, but when his team competed in Ryan Fieldhouse in February, he was delighted by the team’s warm reception.
“This is the best facility in the country,” Moss said during the inaugural Schiller Duals event. “It’s super critical for them to be at home, to have fans and support from family, friends and the athletic department.”
The ’Cats finished with a 31-8 record in dual competition last season, climbing to No. 3 in the United States Fencing Coaches Association Poll before the postseason commenced. The ’Cats also secured a runner-up finish in the conference championships.
This past year, Moss was named Coach of the Year by the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference for the fifth-straight year, and three of his six fencers who qualified for the NCAA Championships took home All-American honors.
In March, NU earned 62 total victories in its two-day NCAA Championship stint — its record producing a fifth-place finish among teams competing for the national title.
Then graduate-student eppeist Amanda Pirowski led the way for NU, securing a seventh-place finish in her weapon, as well as a Second Team All-American nod for the second time in her career.
Then-freshman Daphne Chan Nok Sze, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, led the way in the foil, while then-freshman Natalie Shearer raked in an All-American Honorable Mention in the sabre.
Moss will tack on five new additions to his roster this fall.
“This group is fierce, driven, competitive and hard-working. We cannot wait to see the impact they’ll make on our program in the coming years,” Moss said in an April news release about his new recruiting class.
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