Harvard, Penn Booters Clash for Second Tonight

Second place in the Ivy League will be on the line tonight at 8 p.m. when the Harvard soccer team, fresh from a weekend 4-2 upset victory over Dartmouth, takes on defending champion Pennsylvania under the lights at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

Penn Head Coach Bob Seddon predicted yesterday that the crowd could reach 10,000 for the game if the weather is good.

Harvard, Penn and Brown are tied for the second spot in the league with 2-1 records, just behind undefeated Cornell. With Brown playing Princeton on Saturday, the Harvard-Penn clash will help determine the race for the title.

Duel Shaping Up

The game shapes up to be a duel between Penn's high-scoring offense and the Crimson defense led by fullback Brian Fearnett and goalkeeper Steve Kidder.

Harvard will be weakened by the loss of Felix Adedeji for the seventh straight game and the probability that fullback Steve Mead will not play tonight because of a badly sprained ankle.

Bruce Monro, head coach of Harvard, praised Penn highly yesterday. "They're the class of the Ivy League," he said, but added that the win over Dartmouth had given his players confidence. Penn lost to Dartmouth, 3-1, in their fifth game of the season.

Both Monro and Seddon said the outcome of the game will hinge on Harvard's ability to match up defensively against a Quaker line that includes Steve Baumann, an All-Ivy selection last year, John Burke, a second team selection, and high scoring junior Dick Fenimore. Fenimore scored both Penn goals in a 2-0 victory over Princeton last weekend.

"They've probably got one of the best offensives around," Monro said, but expressed confidence in Harvard's 4-2-4 diamond defense. "I'll stack Steve Kidder up against any goalie in the league," he continued. "If he's hot he could give those shooters a hard time."

When questioned about Harvard's impotent offense, Monro asked, "What offense?" The four goal outburst against Dartmouth by Rick LaCivita, Mario Gobbo and John Littlefield doubled Harvard's goal production for the year.

"Our defense should contain them," Seddon said. Penn goalie Dino Pronchik has given up only four goals in three games and Seddon said Pronchik was "a pleasant surprise." Fullback Don Ries anchors a Quaker defensive unit with four shut-outs to their credit.

The weather could also become a factor, as the Astro-turf on Franklin Field becomes slippery when wet and the ball tends to skid. Monro said the game will speed up under such conditions and hurt Harvard's chances.

"They're very hard to beat at home," Monro said, and mentioned that the Crimson squad had practiced under lights on Astro-turf at Boston College Wednesday night in preparation for the game.