Booters Survive Green Tide, Harriers Succumb

David Acron's two-goal performance led the Crimson soccer team to a comeback 2-1 win over Dartmouth in a crucial game yesterday at the Business School fields.

Solid efforts by Harvard's forwards and defense contributed to the victory, raising the Crimson's record to 2-1.

The game began unimpressively as sloppy play prevailed in the opening minutes, but Dartmouth started clicking with three straight charges at the Harvard net. On the third charge, Bruce Boker headed a cross into the corner of the goal past diving Crimson goalie Fred Herold at 14:54.

But the momentum shifted when Harvard's forwards consistently started moving the ball downfield. First Mark Zimering and then Eric Zager drilled shots just past the Dartmouth goal.

Then Lyman Bullard stole the ball from a Big Green fullback near the corner and kicked a low hard cross off the endline to Acorn in front of the goal. Acorn beat the Dartmouth goalie to knot the score at 1-1.

Harvard came out charging after halftime, and Acorn followed up a rebounded shot with a low rocket into the nets at 1:46. Acorn's tally was all the Crimson needed for the win, as defensemen Kevin Jiggetts, Ralph Booth, Geoff Hargadon, Mark Zimering, Matt Bowyer and Chris Saunders contained Dartmouth's attack.

The only scare came in the closing minutes of the game when the Big Green offense swarmed around the Harvard goalmouth. One Dartmouth head shot bounced over the goal and only moments later a rising liner missed the post by inches.

With one minute left and Dartmouth still pressing, Mark Zimering broke loose from the pack and sprinted the length of the field with the ball, relieving the pressure and icing the game.

Coach George Ford called the contest "a tough game to win." Ford credited the victory to the "hard work" of his defense and good movement on the forward line. "Things were working up there," he said. "It was just what we needed."

The win broke a streak of three winless games for Harvard and Ford said he is "hoping this is going to be the turn around for us." The booters face Williams in a non-league game Tuesday, then take on Penn Friday night.

The freshman booters also won, defeating the Dartmouth JV squad, 4-3.