Varsity Lacrosse Team Drops Sixth Game; Abbot Blocks 28 Bruin Shots in Vain

The varsity lacrosse team dropped its sixth game of the season last Saturday by losing to a strong Brown squad. 13-2.

Shooting for their fourth consecutive New England Championship title, the Bruins dominated the game with a pressing attack. Sophomore goalie Rob Abbot starred for the Crimson, blocking 28 of Brown's shots on net.

Brown took the lead early in the match, scoring three times in the opening quarter. The Bruins collected four more goals in the second period, while John Hagerty scored Harvard's first, and Brown led, 7-1, at the half.

In the third quarter the Bruins outscored the Crimson, 34, with attackman Steve Milliken notting Harvard's goal. Three more bruin tallies in the last period made the final score 13-2.

Controlled Offense

Brown's offense effectively controlled the hall in Harvard's end throughout most of the game, as the Bruins' three starting attackmen each scored the hat trick. Junior Steve Russo collected five points to boost his team-leading point total to 29.

Playing without injured John Taliaferro. Harvard's defense had difficulty clearing the ball, and the Crimson midfield did not perform as well as it has in previous matches. However, Harvard co-captain Bob Green said that "it was not possible to single out any one reason or position to explain the loss.

"They were clearly a better team, but there was no reason for us to be out of the game. We had hoped to plan the way we did in the second half of the UMass game, our first glimmer of hope, but we didn't play that way at all." Green added.

Hoefer Quits

The absence of midfieldman Roger Hoefer and attackman Cabie Warren hampered Harvard's performance. Hoefer quit the team on Friday and refused to comment on his decision, while Warren, who is also rumored to have quit, left town for the weekend.

Harvard meets its next opponent, NCC champion Cornell, this Wednesday as the Crimson seeks to improve its 1-6 record with an upset over the Big Red.