MacDonald Weeds, Grooms 40 Varsity Soccer Aspirants

For the past five years Harvard has been known as something less than a power in soccer. Not enough material and too little practice generally meant that Crimson teams were inexperienced squads carried along by a few stars. Two postwar years may have changed the scene.

Coach James MacDonald, for years a professional soccer coach before he came to Cambridge, heads the Crimson booters. Coach MacDonald expects something of a renascence this year.

All but three of last year's starting Varsity team are returning, and in addition Mac will have the whole Freshman team of last year, the squad that amassed the best Harvard soccer record in 17 years. Before that a different scoring system makes comparison illusory.

40 Report for Practice

But the factor that makes Mac beam the brightest is the success of the pre-season practice. Twenty-five athletes reported on the Business School Field for the first practice Monday and by yesterday the number had risen to 40. "Why, before this year," Mac said, "no one ever appeared until the first Jay of registration.

"This year at least we'll be ready for the first game. The pitfall is that most of the other colleges have as much spirit and as many reserves as we do."

Undergraduate chief of the booters is Cambridge-born Hunt Mavor, a veteran of two former Harvard elevens and of one Navy team at Ohio State. He organized this college's first preseason soccer practice.

Apparently scoring the goals will not be the problem of the Crimson soccer team this year, as on this fall's forward line will be playing the high scorers of three other years. Roy Heisler, who averaged three or four a game in 1944, is back; Manny Aguirre, star of the team in 1945, has returned; and Phil Potter, last year's center forward, is now a Junior. Besides, Mac has the whole of last year's forward line and that of the there, the H.A.A. will foot the gas bills.

Mikkola is counting on a whole flock of returnees plus some graduates of the '46 Yearling team to "insure a successful season and build the foundation for a good running attack for the winter and spring track teams."

Elis Powerless

He has indicated that more is at stake than a successful cross country season. With definite Olympic possibilities like Don Trimble and Sam Felton returning next spring in the field events, the Harvard coach plans to use the forthcoming harrier season as a means of revitalizing his anemic middle distance and distance forces so they can keep pace with the high point men.

As for the Freshman situation, he thinks introduction of hill and dale running at some of the Harvard-feeder prep schools will bring gratifying results when the Yardling candidates report Monday.

Although not much sunshine beamed on the Varsity and Freshman squads last year, there is one significant factor concerning the prospect this fall. Coach Mikkola's record, and particularly his combined Varsity-Freshman Yale record of 33 wins and 7 losses, has been compared with California weather. "It may rain once in a while, but it never stays that way for long.