Brand, who has coached the Crimson since the 1999-2000 season, has seen teams that have had perfect 11-0 records, Ivy and National titles, and individuals that have gone on to bout for their countries in the Olympics.

As his team fights for national recognition, Brand sees the promise of its future, as well as the strength of its individuals, many of whom have a chance to vie for a top spot in the NCAA Championships.

“We’re not deep enough to win a national title, but certainly on the individual side we have top notch athletes who are contenders,” Brand said with confidence. “Valentin, James [Hawrot], Karl for the men, Noam, who won the silver last year, and Caroline each have a shot for a medal.”

The first challenge will be qualifying as many of the individuals as possible in Providence to make good on the opportunity to showcase on home turf.

For Brand, post-season tournaments do not mark the end of a year, but rather the beginning of a new cycle of recruiting, training, and competition. What Harvard is currently lacking is a strong third fencer in each weapon, an absence that is holding the Crimson back from title contention, and one that the coaching staff is hoping to fill. With a young team of mostly freshman and sophomores, accompanied by a powerful recruiting class, the possibilities will soon be endless on the Ivy and National level.

But for now, it’s all about the elusive postseason, the time when winners are made and dreams are broken. The future of fencing is around the corner, but for now, it must wait until after the NCAA Championships.

—Staff writer B. Marjorie Gullick can be reached at gullick@college.harvard.edu.