Booters Beat Brown, 4-0; Enter NCAA Quarterfinals

The varsity soccer team took a long step towards the NCAA national championships yesterday afternoon as it trounced a tough Brown squad, 4-0, on the Business School Field. With this victory, the Crimson earned the right to play Hartwick, the District H champions, this Saturday.

In a change from its previous encounter with the Bruins, the Harvard squad dominated play throughout most of the game. "I thought that we would play better ball on a dry field, and we did. We played very well." Coach Bruce Munro said, remembering the narrow 2-1 victory over Brown in the mud a week ago.

Solomon Gomez once again led the Crimson squad in scoring with two tallies. Charlie Thomas and Russ Bell each scored once.

Early Take Over

It took Harvard very little time to establish domination over the Bruins. Barely eight minutes into the first period. Thomas knocked in his fourteenth goal of the season. Bell, who played a marvelous game despite an injury that has been with him since September, drilled a pass that hugged the ground and crossed directly in front of the Bruin goalie. Thomas took it, and kicked into the net.

Harvard's play in the first period showed that on a dry field it can beat anybody. The passing was accurate, and Harvard controlled the ball most of the period outmaneuvering and outrunning the dead-footed Bruins.

Gomez took great pleasure in weaving in and among the Bruin defense as he scored his first of two, midway through the opening period. Taking a pass from John Gordon, the Gambian superstar faked, faded, scooted and slid past the Bruin fullbacks, knocking the ball past a dazzled Bruin goalie.

Tight Defense

The Crimson slackened slightly during the second period, and lost control of the center of the field. But although the Bruins had several scoring opportunities, the defense tightened up and stifled any serious Brown threat. Harvard goalie Billy Meyers made a couple of excellent saves, and fullbacks Bob Grey. Bill Brock and Chris Wilmot kept stealing the ball from the Bruin forwards.

Harvard dented the scoreboard again, early in the third period. Phil Kydes brought the ball down and set up Pete Bogovich for a possible goal. Bogovich drilled the ball towards the net. But though the Bruin goalie stopped it, he failed to hold on to the ball, and Bell put it in for the third Crimson tally.

The final Crimson score came late in the third period. Assisted by Bogovich. Gomez scored his 16th goal of the season. Gomez leads the Crimson squad in scoring, but more amazing is the fact that he played the game with injuries to his foot and knee incurred during the Yale game.

Kydes was also injured, playing at only 75 per cent effectiveness. But the whole Crimson squad smells the national championship and they are not going to let injuries get in the way.

Some of the credit for the dry field must go to the Harvard soccer managers who roiled a tarp over the goal areas Sunday night when it started to drizzle. Walt Tomford '70 and Jim Law '72 pushed the large tarp over the field, a job usually requiring ten men. "It was a hefty job, and I felt pretty good until this morning when my groin muscles really hurt," Tomford said.

Besides losing its second game to the Crimson in as many weeks, the Bruins lost the Ivy League Championship trophy. After the game, some Crimson players were seen fondling the elegant trophy, exclaiming triumphantly, "Oh, beautiful, beautiful, just beautiful."

In the game against Hartwick this coming Saturday, the Crimson squad faces a team that will challenge them at all positions. "Cornell has played both Harvard and Hartwick," Coach Munro said after the game, "and I've talked to the Cornell coach, who told me that Hartwick is the better team. We'll have a battle on our hands."