Lacrosse Ten Plays Delaware Today

Lacrosse is an Indian game. What the Crimson needs most this year is a good medicine man.

Six of the 20 players Bruce Munro took with him on the southern trip last week had to stay out of at least one of the games because of injury. By the end of the week the bench looked like the front row at church on the Sunday after Easter.

Consequently, the scores run up by the southern teams are not a fair means of judging the Crimson. Not only were certain key men unable to play, but their incapacity forced Munro to break up his regular defense and midfield combinations and use groups which had never worked together. The team, which normally would have been tired from the strenuous schedule, was fatigued because of the lack of substitutes. Throw in some disappointing goalie work and the team's showing is understandable.

Fortunately, the games down south don't count in the New England Lacrosse League standings. Ten contests remain to be played, and with an upset victory over Yale the team could win back the sectional championship it took in 1951.

The biggest question mark right now is the attack. Before vacation it looked like the best part of the team, but the combination of Ed Curtis, Phil Waring, and Monk Aiello all juniors came up with only one goal in the last two games and that one was definitely tainted. Munro would have loved to put in a substitute attack, if he had one, to give this combination a rest, but he didn't have a substitute attack. In fact, the only substitute attackman he had along was Todd Goodwin, who was also one of his six remaining midfielders.

Waring is suffering from an injured toc at present, and if he or Curtis or Aielio should be forced out of action for any reason, the team would be in trouble.

Captain Ron Huebsch, Skip Baldwin, and Jim Telfer comprised the starting midfield at the beginning of the trip, but Telfer separated a shoulder against Princeton and will be out of action for another week. Hank Wood, who had been playing second midfield along with Chuck Edwards and Todd Goodwin, moved up to the first midfield and Fred Horween moved up from the third to take his place.

Then Chuck Edwards had to pass up the Maryland game because of a charley-horse which he is still nursing, and Pete Palches took over for him. Palches proceeded to wrench his knee and won't play now for three weeks. John Law and Hank Rate finished out the Maryland game, alternating in the second midfield.

Munro probably won't have his new midfield lineups permanently set until Telfer returns. With the material he has, he can fashion two very good combinations with an average third; the midfield looks to be the strongest part of the team.

Injuries have also plagued the defense. Starters Tom Crump has a sprained ankle and Paul Jones sat out most of the southern games with a bruised side. Boh Larsen has two doubtful ankles. Ted Sexton, John Hartwell, and Larsen did most of the defense work on the trip, but Jones and Crump will probably get starting berths along with Sexton if their injuries clear up.

No matter how well the defense shapes up, the team will be no good unless goalies John Ogden and Gordon Fair improve considerably. Ogden was slated to get the starting assignments this year.

Today, the varsity is favored against the travelling Delaware team in a 3:45 game on the Business School Field. Delaware beat M.I.T., 7 to 3, yesterday. There will be one doctor on the field and three trainers in the Dillon medical room.